Our Miracle
by TheValetAndTheMaid
Summary: What if Anna and John decided to adopt when they thought that they would never have a baby of their own? What if they allowed a child into their lives that wasn't their own? Follow the two of them as they go through the adoption process and bring their child home, raising it as their own whilst also working on their marriage. There may be some surprises in store...Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I do not - as of yet - have an updating schedule and so chapters will be added when they are completed. When this story begins to progress I will decide whether or not to update weekly or monhtly. For now, however, please enjoy!**

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Neither of them said a word as they were sat together in the sitting room of their cottage later that evening, John settled in his armchair with a book as there was a steaming cup of tea sat on the table beside him and Anna was curled up on the settee with her mending. He tried not to worry about her; tried not to brood, but ever since she had sobbed in his arms in the boot room after revealing to him that she had lost their baby earlier that evening, he had been unable to think about anything else but her. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he glanced up at her for the severalth time and watched a solitary tear dance over the curve of her cheek, his heart genuinely aching for her as he folded the corner of the page that he was on in his book before placing it down on the table beside his cup of tea.

'Anna,' He kept his voice soft so not to startle her, his wife gazing over at him as her stormy blue eyes shone with tears, 'Come here and have a cuddle, darling.' She gave a soft sniffle as she pushed her sewing needle into the pincushion before setting her mending aside and standing from the settee, another tear slipping down her cheek as she made her way over to him before he took her waist in his hands and eased her down into his lap. He slipped his arms around her then, snugging her against his chest.

She lay her head down upon his shoulder through his shirt once she had shifted in his warm embrace so that his good knee was taking the majority of her weight, her eyes fluttering closed as she pressed her face into his neck for comfort and released a deep sigh when she felt his lips pressing to the side of her head in a lingering kiss. 'The cramps are getting worse.' She admitted as she curled her fingers into the thin material of his dress-shirt, John feeling his heart sink as he thought about how his wife's miscarriage was affecting her both physically as well as emotionally. 'It's as though my body is trying to torment me, John, it's as though it's trying to remind me over and over again that there's nothing there anymore!' She broke down into pained sobs then as she allowed him to snug her closer to him, John forbidding pained sobs of his own to escape him as he tried to comfort her in any way he could.

'Oh, Anna.' He soothed as he brought his hand up to stroke her soft blonde tresses of hair, the sound of her sobs causing him genuine pain as he started to rock back and forth with her. 'Do you want me to go and find you a hot water bottle? You never know, it might take some of the pain away for you.' She shook her head in response before drawing back from his neck and gazing up into his hazel eyes.

'No, thank you, I just want you to hold me.' She managed to choke out though her tears. 'I just want to be close to you for a little while.' She snuggled further against him then before nuzzling her damp face against the warm skin of his neck, soft hiccups escaping her from the intensity of her tears while she attempted to compose herself somewhat. 'I'm sorry, John.' She sniffled quietly. 'I'm so, so sorry.'

'Don't you dare apologise to me.' He almost growled as he leaned back in his armchair and trailed a comforting hand along the length of her spine through the dark material of her uniform. 'There was nothing that you could have done to prevent this from happening, my darling, and I will not have you beating yourself up over it.' He turned his head in her direction before leaving a kiss against her brow.

'I want a baby.' She whimpered, tears and fatigue coating her voice.

'I know you do, my love, I know you do.' He soothed before falling into silence as he started to think. 'Anna, have you ever considered adoption?' He asked after a short time, his wife drawing away from the side of his neck in order to cast her tear-filled gaze up at him, a charming smile fixed upon his lips.

'Yes, but-' She stammered, her voice wavering as she ran her hand along the front of his chest. 'I just don't believe it would work for you.' A slight crease formed in his brow as he smoothed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. 'You're tribal, John, and a tribe doesn't have a lot of members. You want your own child; no substitute will do.' He sighed, brushing a lock of blonde hair back beneath her ear.

'I won't deny that when I was in prison I would lie awake at night thinking about what it would be like to have miniature versions of you running around the place once you got me out,' He began, drawing her closer, 'But that's not to say that I would be against adopting a child. There are so many children who have been abused or left orphaned and put up for adoption, my darling, so if we were to go and adopt a child then we would be able to give it the love that they weren't given by their own parents.'

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Anna's lips as she reached up to cup the curve of his cheek in her hand, her thumb dancing across the warm skin of his shaven cheek for a moment before she brought his lips to her own and captured him in a long and slow kiss. She gave his lower lip a soft tug with her teeth as they parted, a small smile spreading across her features as she sat up in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. 'I love you so much.' She whispered, pressing her forehead to his.

'I love you too.' He smiled, leaving a tiny kiss to the tip of her nose.

'Can we go to the adoption centre on our next half-day and get some forms?' She cocked her head to one side as she brushed her thumb against the soft skin at the back of his neck. 'I know that we have to be chosen as suitable adoptive parents before they'll let us meet the children, and I want us to fill the forms out sooner rather than later so that we have less time to wait to hear back from them.' A smile of pure love spread across John's features as he brought his hands up to cup her porcelain face.

'Why don't we go tomorrow afternoon? The family will be out for a few hours and I doubt that Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson will refuse to let us go if we explain our plans to them.' He gazed into her eyes.

'I'll ask Lady Mary when I go up to dress her in the morning.' She reassured him. 'I have quite a good feeling that she's going to be supportive of us, though.' Her midnight blue eyes sparkled endearingly.

'You are so beautiful.' He breathed as he ran the tips of his fingers through her long blonde hair.

She giggled in response before unwinding one arm from around his neck and cupping the side of it in the palm of her hand, placing another languid kiss upon his lips as one of his own hands came to rest upon her slight waist through her uniform. There were loving smiles upon both their lips when their kiss came to a natural end just moments later, their eyes delaying from opening as they revelled in one another's warmth. 'Do you know what sounds nice right about now?' She stroked his hair softly.

'A hot bath?' He raised his brow at her when he allowed his eyes to flutter open.

'How did you know?' She smirked as she slipped her arms back around his neck.

'Wild guess.' He chuckled with a light kiss to the corner of her mouth. 'Why don't you make your way up and start running it whilst I make us both a cup of tea? Then, when I come up, I can just hold you in my arms whilst we soak together.' She nodded in response before pecking his cheek as she ran her hands across his shoulders and down the outsides of his arms through his shirt, a smile upon her lips as she removed herself from his tender embrace and began to make her way across the sitting room.

'John?' She glanced over her shoulder at him from where she stood in the doorway.

'Yes, sweetheart?' He raised his brow at her as he turned slightly in his chair.

'Thank you for making me feel better.' She released a sigh of happiness. 'I love you.'

'You don't need to thank me; it's my job, my darling.' He reminded her. 'But I love you too. So much.'

And, with that, she threw him a loving glance before making her way out of the sitting room and up the creaky staircase towards the small bathroom in order to start running their bath.

* * *

The two of them were laying in silence in their marital bed after their relaxing bath later that night, her head cushioned upon his collarbone as she stroked the tips of her fingers against the curly dark hair that covered his chest and his arms were wrapped around her slight frame in a secure embrace. She couldn't prevent the smile of contentment from forming upon her lips as she felt John nuzzle the softest of kisses into the lavender-scented blonde hair at the top of her head, draping her arm over his stomach as she buried her face into the side of his neck and tangled her leg with his own beneath the covers. 'How are the cramps?' He asked as he trailed a strong hand along the length of her spine.

'They've gone off a little now.' She hummed as she allowed the tips of her fingers to dance along the warm skin at the curve of his side, caressing his foot with her own as he snugged her closer to him. 'I think that bath helped a lot.' She felt his warm lips curl up into a smile against the crown of her head.

'Why don't we go to a tea-room after we've been to the adoption centre tomorrow?' He suggested as his hand came to settle upon the jut of her hip through her nightgown. 'It's been a while since we've done that and I feel like spoiling you a little at the moment.' Anna giggled at his statement when she tilted her head back against his chest, releasing a delicate sigh as he grazed his nose against her own.

'I would love that.' She whispered.

'Good.' He whispered back before pressing a soft kiss onto her lips.

She released a gentle yawn as she lay her head back down upon his shoulder, her arm slipping back over his middle as she anchored herself to him. 'I'm exhausted but I feel too excited to sleep.' A soft chuckle escaped John's lips as she draped her leg over his hip and buried her warm face into his neck.

'I feel the same way.' He turned his head to rest his chin upon her crown. 'But you know that you get headaches if you don't get enough sleep.' She nodded in response as her blue eyes fluttered closed. 'I love you, Anna.' He whispered as he heard her breathing begin to even out and knew that she was drifting off against his chest, his heart swelling with love for her as he stretched to turn out the lamp.

'I love you, John.' She replied as she snuggled against him. 'More than I could ever hope to explain.'

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 **Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed my first chapter! Please drop a review so I know what you thought, thanks! x**


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Chapter 2 is here! Please enjoy and let me know what you thought with a review; thank you! x

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Anna was unable to prevent the troubled sigh from escaping her lips as she was stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom that she shared with her husband the following morning, her gaze fixed upon her reflection as she continued to fasten up the row of buttons at the back of her uniform.

She hadn't thought about it when she and John had been discussing adoption the previous evening, but when she had woken in her husband's embrace just a short time ago, the thought had struck her. Once they had filled out the adoption forms, the adoption centre would be sending a social worker to visit them and that meant that there would be questions. Questions of a personal nature. Surely, the social worker would be enquiring about their criminal records? What would they think when the two of them admitted that they had both spent time in prison after being accused of murder? Would the fact that they had been _wrongly_ convicted make any difference? Or would the social worker tell the adoption centre that they weren't suitable candidates? The mere thought of it made her heart break.

A pair of warm hands settling upon her waist from behind was what brought her out of her thoughts a few moments later, a deep sigh escaping her as she allowed John to draw her back flush against his chest with a lingering kiss to the back of her head. 'What's wrong?' He asked, his voice soft as he lay his chin upon her shoulder through the dark material of her uniform and trailed his hands along the curves of her sides as he met her gaze in the mirror. 'You've hardly said two words all morning, love.'

'What if we aren't seen as suitable candidates for adoptive parents?' She took his hands in hers and brought his arms to wrap around her middle as she allowed herself to lean against his chest, her head dropping back against his shoulder through his shirt as the anxiousness was etched into her features.

'What makes you think that we won't be?' His brow furrowed before she turned in his embrace and placed her hands upon his chest, running them along it in a tender caress as she avoided his gaze for a moment. His hands running along her spine through her dress made her look up at him once again.

'Before we can adopt a child we have to be visited by a social worker – I remember Mrs. Torpy telling me about it when she was telling me about how she adopted a little boy six months ago – and I know that they need to know everything about the two of us.' She took a deep breath before continuing. 'What is the social worker going to think when they find out that we've both spent time in prison for murder?' The warm tears that had filled her eyes when she had been snuggled up against him the previous evening filled them once again, causing her husband to sigh deeply as he brought her close.

'I was _wrongly_ convicted.' He reminded her as he reached up to cup her porcelain cheek in his hand. 'And, my darling, you weren't convicted of anything. I stopped you from having to go on trial, Anna.'

'But will that make any difference?' Her tears coated her words. 'What if they just focus on the fact that we were thought capable of murdering someone? What if they believe that a child won't be safe here with us?' A single tear danced over the curve of her cheek before he removed it with his thumb.

'When they look into our records and see that we were wrongly imprisoned for murdering someone – which they will – they will drop the subject and should overlook that. If the social worker says that we need someone to provide them with a character reference, I'm certain that His Lordship and Lady Mary or Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson wouldn't be against doing so.' He cupped her face beneath the curtain of her hair, feeling his heart swell just a little at the small smile that spread across Anna's lips.

'I want this more than anything.' She told him as her deep blue eyes sparkled with tears. 'I'd give up anything to have a child and I don't care at this point if it's a baby or not. I just want to be a Mummy.'

'And you will be.' He reassured her as he ran his hands along the outside of her slender arms through the sleeves of her uniform. 'You were born to be a mother and I don't care what it takes or what we have to go through, we are going to have a child.' She stood in silence for a moment before cupping the sides of his neck in her hands and rising up onto her tiptoes to press her lips against his own in a long and firm kiss, a surge of warmth coursing through her veins as his hand sought out the small of her back and he pulled her flush against his chest. 'Mmph…' He hummed between kisses. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' She reassured him before leaving a final languid kiss upon his lips and returning back to her small height, her hands leaving his neck and slipping down to his chest before she beamed up at him. 'I can't wait for us to be a proper family.' She breathed as she curled her fingers into his shirt.

'Me either.' He leaned his forehead against hers before giving her nose an affectionate graze with his. They stood there like that for several long minutes – their foreheads pressed as they held each other close and revelled in their closeness. 'We should finish getting dressed.' He admitted a few moments later as he ran his hands over the length of her back through her uniform, kissing her on the hairline.

'Can we lay on the settee together when we come home tonight? I don't want to do any mending or cleaning; I just want to be held in your arms and have you read to me.' She slid her arms around him.

John smiled as he stroked her hair with the palm of his hand. 'We can do whatever you like, darling.' He nodded. 'But right now you need to do your hair and I need to find my tie and jacket so that we aren't late for breakfast.' She giggled as she rose up onto her toes and kissed his soft cheek tenderly.

She then made her way over to her vanity and lowered herself down onto the wooden stool before reaching for her hairbrush and beginning to brush out the tangles, her troubled expression replaced by a smile of hope as she thought about how she would be at the adoption centre in just a few hours.

As John made his way over to the wardrobe in order to retrieve his jacket he was unable to prevent the smile of pride from appearing upon his lips as he turned to glance over his shoulder at his wife, nothing but love for her in his eyes as he watched her twist her hair into a tight knot at the nape of her neck. She was still mourning over the loss of their baby – he could see it on her face – but she was also delighted at the prospect of them adopting a little boy or girl and he loved how excited she was.

He knew that she was going to get through this; that she was going to come out stronger.

Because she was magnificent.

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'Milady, I – I was wondering if I might ask you something?' Anna admitted later that morning as she continued to draw a comb through her Mistress's short tresses of dark hair, Lady Mary glancing up to meet her gaze through the mirror before she offered her a kind smile as she nodded. 'I understand if it isn't doable – it's not our half-day after all – but Mr. Bates and I were wondering if we might have a few hours off this afternoon to go into Thirsk. We wouldn't be long, but I would like your permission.'

'May I ask what you are planning to do in Thirsk?' Lady Mary asked, her tone gentle.

'You might recall that when I was dressing you for bed last night, I told you that I can't have children.' Anna said, a stab of hurt hitting her in the heart as the image of her bloodstained underwear entered her mind. 'When Mr. Bates and I returned to our cottage last night we were talking and we – we have decided that we want to adopt a child.' She watched Lady Mary's eyes widen in surprise as the warm smile upon her lips only grew. 'We don't want to wait long to hear if we have been accepted or not, so we were hoping for some time off to go into Thirsk today and collect the forms that are needed to apply for adoption.' Lady Mary turned around upon her stool in order to smile up at her ladies' maid.

'Of course you must go!' She told her as she clasped her hands together in her lap. 'Oh, Anna, there is no doubt in my mind that the two of you will be seen as perfect candidates!' Anna's face fell a little. 'What is it?' Lady Mary asked gently as she took in the sight of her maid's sudden solemn expression.

'I'm worried that the fact that Mr. Bates and I have been in prison will affect the process.' She sighed as she held to the hairbrush she had been using. 'I'm worried that the social worker – after they have visited us – will tell the adoption centre that they don't feel comfortable allowing Mr. Bates and I to adopt a child. We've been accused of murder in the past, Milady, what will people think when we say that we want to adopt a child?' Mary felt her heart sink as she heard the sadness in Anna's soft voice.

'Anna; you and Bates and everyone under this roof knows the truth.' She reminded her. 'We all know that the two of you are guilty of nothing and that you would both make incredible parents. I assure you that – if it is needed – I and the rest of the family wouldn't hesitate for a moment to support the two of you. You both deserve this more than anyone living; you've both been put through so much.'

'Thank you, Milady.' Anna sighed in relief. 'You have no idea how much that means to me; how much it will mean to Mr. Bates when I tell him.' Mary couldn't help but smile at the joy of her ladies' maid.

'You don't need to thank me.' She reassured her. 'Think of it as I and the family's way of thanking you and Bates for so many years of loyalty. We are all so grateful to the two of you for everything you do.'

Anna nodded as she was unable to find the words to say in response, Lady Mary offering her a smile before she turned around once more and allowed her to continue on with brushing out her dark hair.

Anna felt a sense of warmth pool in her chest as she resumed her task. She couldn't quite believe it.

She was going to be a Mummy.

After so many years of hoping and waiting to fall pregnant – after so many months of heartbreak due to her miscarriages – she was finally going to be privileged enough to hear a child call her "Mummy".

Just the thought of it made her heart soar.

* * *

It was later that afternoon when Anna and John were tucked away together in a booth in the corner of the tearoom in Thirsk, his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders as she was settled against his chest and he allowed the tips of his fingers to dance along the outside of her arm through her dress – eliciting gentle shivers from her that only made him love her more. It hadn't taken long for the two of them to obtain the forms that were needed in order to apply for adoption; the receptionist had been warm and inviting towards the two of them and had managed to rid them of any nerves that they had had before entering the centre. Now, here they were, sat waiting for their tea to arrive as their minds were full of thoughts about how different their lives would be if they were permitted to adopt a child.

'I hope that your silence is a good thing.' John admitted with a soft chuckle in his voice as he snugged her further into his warmth after a time, Anna releasing a gentle giggle of her own as she placed one of her hands upon his chest through his shirt and tilted her head back on his shoulder to gaze at him.

'Of course it's a good thing.' She brushed her thumb against the thin fabric of his shirt. 'Silly beggar.'

They shared a warm smile.

She couldn't help but sigh in contentment as she slipped her arm around his middle under his jacket. 'I was just thinking about what our lives would be like if we were to be accepted as adoptive parents. I know that we would have to act in a different way with an adopted child than we would one of our own; we would have to think about what it was put through before we adopted it. I mean, if it came from an abusive home then it wouldn't surprise me if it's scared of loud noises and so we would have to make sure that we're quieter around it. There's just so much to think about.' John kissed her head.

'You are going to make such an incredible mother.' He shook his head in slight disbelief that she was truly his, even after six years of wonderful marriage. 'Your heart is the largest and purest that I have ever known, my darling, and I know that the child we adopt is going to love you more than anything.'

She pressed her lips to his cheek in a long kiss. 'I hope you're right.'

'I _know_ I'm right.' He teased.

It was a few moments later when they saw the waiter bringing their tea over to them, Anna drawing away from her husband before she sat up properly beside him and they shared a smile of pure love and devotion as he took her hand in his under the table and stroked his thumb against the back of it.

Neither one of them had ever felt so happy and filled with joy.

They were going to be parents.

Everything was finally falling into place.

* * *

The warmth from the fire that was crackling and spitting in the hearth was nothing compared to the warmth of her husband's lips as they moved in perfect sync with hers in the late hours of that night, one of his strong hands tangled in her long tresses of golden hair as he allowed the tips of his fingers to massage her scalp and she cupped the side of his neck in the palm of her own hand. Anna wasn't always the one to take control when it came to their kisses – she enjoyed it when he was the one to choose how passionate or how chaste their kisses were – but she had been unable to prevent herself from kissing him once they'd settled on the settee after completing the forms. She was just so happy.

She heard the deep sigh of satisfaction that escaped him when she swept her tongue along the seam of his lower lip and it made a gentle smile spread across her features, her heart swelling with love for him when he parted his lips beneath her own and she deepened their kiss before hooking her fingers behind his ears and bringing his lips more firmly against her own. Her soft giggle vibrated against his lips when he wrapped his free arm around her waist and tugged her closer before beginning to run the palm of his hand along the curve of her spine through her uniform, their tongues dancing warmly together as all sense of time was forgotten and the only thing that mattered to them was each other.

Their passionate kisses and tender caresses continued for several long minutes before they parted reluctantly for air when the urge to do so became too intense to ignore, their breathing irregular as they pressed their foreheads together and John held her close to him by the hip as she teased the soft hair at his temples with the tips of her fingers. 'I love you.' He breathed as he gave her nose a loving nudge with his own, Anna blessing him with a radiant smile when her eyes opened and met with his.

'I love you too.' She whispered, her lips rosy and rather swollen from their kisses.

'I'll get up a little earlier tomorrow so that I can take the forms to the post office.' He said, reaching up to tuck a strand of long blonde hair back beneath her ear before he cupped her cheek in his palm. 'All we have to do then is wait for them to send out a social worker.' Anna nodded with a gentle sigh.

'I don't want to wait.' She giggled.

'Me either.' He chuckled as he brushed his thumb against the soft skin of her cheekbone. 'But it won't be long now, I promise.' She nodded once more before brushing another delicate kiss against his lips. 'What is it?' He asked, a crease forming upon his brow when she fell into silence a few moments later.

'I – I want you to make love to me.' She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. 'I'm still grieving because of the miscarriage, of course I am, but I don't want to stop being intimate with you because of it. I wanted to ask you earlier but I didn't know if you would think I was rushing things.' She sighed.

'Everything I do, I do to make you happy.' He reminded her. 'I hurt you so many times when we first started courting and when I came back to you after leaving with Vera; when I came back to you after you got me out of prison, I vowed to myself that I would never hurt you again and that I would spend every waking minute making you happy. I know we had that rocky period a few years ago, but we got through that and I swear to you that I'm never going to let things get so bad between us again, Anna.'

She blessed him with a loving smile as she stroked his hair with her fingers.

'I don't want to stop being intimate with you because of the miscarriage, either, but I want to be sure that you're not just asking me to make love to you because you feel as though it's your duty. I've told you so many times that our marriage isn't built on that. I will never force your wifely duties from you.' He ran his hand along the perfect curve of her side through her uniform, kissing her temple tenderly.

'I know you won't.' She reassured him. 'I asked you to make love to me because I want you to. Not because I feel as though I have to.' John smoothed the backs of his fingers along her porcelain cheek.

'I love you so much.' He sighed.

'Mmm…I love you too.' She smiled.

John stood from the settee then and allowed Anna to push herself up into a sitting position before he offered her his hand and she slipped her own into it, a beautiful smile upon her lips as she rose from the settee and allowed him to lead her out of their sitting room and up the staircase to their bedroom.

* * *

John was unable to remove the smile of adoration from his lips as he lay in silence behind his wife in the early hours of the following morning, Anna sound asleep with one of her hands tucked beneath her pillow and the other resting over his upon the flatness of her stomach as he held her to his chest.

It hadn't taken her long to fall asleep after they had made love; the long day that she'd had had left her beyond exhausted. If he was to say he was proud of her, it would have been an understatement. She had been put through so much over the last few months: being accused of murder, being sent to prison because of it, coming home from prison to find that he had gone into hiding in Ireland and then finding out that she was pregnant only to lose the baby just weeks later. Her strength was admirable and he knew that she had no idea of just how greatly she inspired him. He longed to be more like her.

Brushing a soft open-mouthed kiss against the warm freckled skin of her shoulder, he snuggled up to her before burying his face in her neck and breathing in her natural perfume. She meant the world to him. 'I love you.' He murmured against her, peppering light and slow kisses over the side of her neck.

He chuckled when he heard her mumble a faint "I love you too" in response before she fell back into slumber, nothing but love for her in his eyes as he laced his fingers with her own upon her stomach. He felt a slight stab of pain as he knew that there was no longer a little life beneath their hands, but he still had hope that he would one day be able to hold his wife close as she slept and feel their child move from within her perfect body as he ran his hands over her belly. He smiled softly at the thought.

A gentle yawn escaped him a few moments later and he knew that he had to get at least a few hours' sleep if he was going to be of any use at all to His Lordship later that day, his movements slow so not to disturb his wife from her slumber as he removed his hand from hers and unwrapped his arm from around her middle for just a moment before stretching to switch out the lamp upon his bedside table.

Once the room had been plunged into darkness he wrapped his arm around her middle once more, Anna stirring just for a moment before she covered his hand with hers upon her stomach and laced their fingers again before drifting back into slumber as John kissed the back of her head. He snuggled up against her once he was certain that she was content, his chin coming to settle upon her shoulder before he allowed his eyes to flutter closed and he started to fall into a peaceful slumber of his own.

His first peaceful slumber in many weeks.

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 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading and please review! x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I'm sorry about the wait for this one guys, but it's here now and I hope you enjoy it! Just to let you all know, I don't know what an adoption interview is like so I kind of made it up as I went along, hehe. Happy reading! x**

* * *

'Leave that and come to bed.' Anna turned her head in the direction of her husband from where she was stood at the sink in the small kitchen of their cottage a little over a fortnight later, John entering the room with nothing but deep love for her in his eyes. 'You have cleaned this cottage from top-to-bottom today and I insist that you leave those dishes for the morning. You're exhausted, my darling.'

Anna let out a fatigued sigh as she nodded before placing the dishes into the sink and turning to face him. 'I just want everything to go well tomorrow.' She told him as she gazed up into his eyes, a warm smile spreading across his lips as he placed his hands upon her waist and drew her close until she lay her head down upon his chest. 'I don't want to give the social worker a reason to write a bad report.'

He buried his lips into the perfect blonde hair that he discovered at the crown of her head as his arms slipped around her slim waist, his hands running along the curve of her spine through her floral dress in a comforting manner as he felt her snuggle further into his warmth. 'I know, sweetheart, and I feel the same way but I don't want you to make yourself ill because of this.' His voice was soft and loving.

She hummed in response as her eyes fell closed and her own arms made their way around his waist, her fingers curling into the thin fabric of his shirt as he began to sway her from side-to-side. The two of them remained in their tender embrace for quite some time, John running the fingers of one hand through her long blonde tresses of hair as his free hand was pressed into the small of her back. 'Why don't we get you upstairs, hmm?' He broke the silence that had fallen between them when he heard her breathing begin to change – a sign that she was falling asleep against him – and pressed his lips to the crown of her head in a final soft kiss before drawing her away from him by the arms. 'If you're going to have the energy to get through this interview tomorrow, you need to go and get some rest.'

'Will you help me to get ready for bed, please?' She asked, her voice quiet as she gazed up at him.

'Of course I will, darling.' He reassured her as he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers in a long and slow kiss, revelling in the soft whimper that she released as she cupped the sides of his neck in her hands. They parted with a soft smack just moments later before he released her face and took her hand in his own, Anna entwining her fingers with his as he began to lead her out of the kitchen – the two of them stopping for a moment in order for her to switch off the light – before he led her toward the wooden staircase and the two of them made their way up toward their bedroom.

Once he had closed the bedroom door behind himself after allowing Anna to step into the dim room first, he felt his heart swell with love for her as he approached her and saw the exhaustion that lived in her midnight blue eyes. 'Look at you.' He sighed as he used his hand to stroke a number of errant strands of hair away from his love's face. 'You can barely keep your eyes open.' Anna giggled quietly, causing her husband to only fall more in love with her as he drank in her natural beauty. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' She reassured him before he placed a hand upon her hip through her dress and took a small step closer to her, his lips seeking out her hairline before he left several tender kisses upon it.

'Come on,' He whispered after drawing back from her, 'Let's get you ready for bed.'

She allowed him to turn her so that her back was to him before he used his fingertips to move her long hair out of the way of her back, his fingers finding the small plastic buttons that ran down her spine before he began to unfasten each one of them. He left warm little kisses upon the back of her neck as he did so, his heart swelling with love for her as she released the softest hums of satisfaction.

It wasn't long until her dress was open and he was able to remove it from her petite frame, drawing the sleeves of it down her arms until the article of clothing slipped from her body and pooled at her feet. He then slid his fingers beneath the thin straps of her slip before sliding them down her slender arms also and allowing her slip to pool at her feet also, his hands running along the porcelain skin of her sides as he pressed his lips into the side of her neck. 'Wait here, darling, whilst I go and get your nightgown.' His voice was gentle in her ear as he caressed her sides once more before stepping past her and making his way over to the wardrobe by the window, the moonlight entering the bedroom through the floral drapes that hung in the window as he picked out a nightgown for his wife to wear.

He approached Anna once again after removing the nightgown from its hanger, his wife's eyes half-lidded as she stood in the centre of their bedroom and her beautiful blonde hair was cascaded over her shoulders. She was the epitome of beauty. 'Lift your arms up for me.' He told her, his tone gentle before she did as he had said and he slipped the nightgown over her head. 'There you go, my sweet.' He ran his hands along her waist once her body had been covered by her nightgown, Anna stepping out from the pool of clothing at her feet before she wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned against his chest. 'Let's get you into bed.' He sighed into her hair. 'You'll be much more comfortable.'

'Will you hold me?' She murmured into his chest.

'Once I've gotten changed, yes.' He reassured her as he stroked her back.

She pressed a slow kiss onto the centre of his chest then before unwinding her arms from around his waist, John allowing his hand to settle upon her upper back through her nightgown when she took a step past him in order to aid her in making her way over to their marital bed. He peeled back the soft covers for her once they had reached it, allowing her to climb onto the mattress before she lay down and her head came to rest upon her pillow. 'Try and get some sleep now, my love.' He told her as he smoothed her blonde hair down with the palm of his hand after covering her with the quilt, his wife murmuring in response as she buried the tip of her nose in her pillowcase and started to settle down.

It didn't take long for him to change out of his work clothes and into his sleepwear once he was sure that Anna was comfortable and that she was drifting off into slumber, a deep sigh of fatigue escaping his lips as he ran a hand through his hair and made his way around to his own side of their bed before climbing in beside his wife and turning out the lamp on his bedside table as he did so. Once had had lay himself down, he slipped his arm around Anna's waist beneath the covers before pulling her back into his chest and dropping a gentle kiss onto the back of her neck. 'Goodnight, John.' Anna said into the darkness of their bedroom as she laced her fingers with his own upon the flatness of her stomach.

'Goodnight, Anna.' He whispered into her ear. 'Pleasant dreams, darling.'

Within moments she had drifted off into slumber in his embrace, his thumb caressing her knuckles as his chin rested upon her shoulder and he gazed into the darkness. He had to admit that when he had suggested to his wife that they look into adopting on the evening following her miscarriage, he had suggested it in order to see her face light up after having seen her so tearful through the day. Now, however, now that they had filled out the forms and a social worker was coming to interview them in the morning, he couldn't deny that the idea of adopting a child was finally beginning to grow on him.

He found that he was somewhat… _excited._

He and Anna were one step closer to welcoming a child into their lives and they were both so happy.

Happier than they ever thought was possible.

* * *

It was late the following morning when Anna and John were sat in the sitting room together with the social worker, the two of them sitting on the settee as their hands were joined and were laying in his lap whilst the social worker was sat in his armchair as she continued to write on her clipboard. So far, the interview was going well and any nerves that the two of them had had before the social worker had arrived had disappeared. What she asked next, however, made Anna's heart stop for a moment.

'Can the two of you tell me what occupied you during the period of April 1919 to July the following year and during the period of July 1924 to December of that year?' She glanced up at the two of them after reading out the dates on the records in front of her, John giving his wife's hand a warm squeeze when he felt her trembling. 'Your detailed service and work history; there appears to be an omission.'

'I was – incarcerated – from 1919 to 1920.' John admitted as he met the social worker's gaze.

'And I was incarcerated from July to December of 1924.' Anna said, her heart pounding violently.

'For _murder_ , so I've read.' The social worker clasped her hands together in her lap.

'The two of us were wrongly convicted.' Anna pointed out. 'All charges against us were cleared.'

'I understand that, Mrs. Bates, and I respect that but it is still a serious accusation.' The social worker tried to keep her tone as calm and gentle as possible as she heard the tremble in the young woman's voice. 'I and the adoption centre work very closely to ensure that the children in our care go to a safe and loving home. They have already been through so much at such a young age and both and I and the adoption centre need to be certain that they are going to _feel_ safe and loved in their new homes.'

'We would never harm a child.' John reassured her. 'I've had first-hand experience of what it's like to be at the receiving end of a belt or a fist and it makes me sick to know that someone could do that to a child. I would never put a child of my own through that, I can assure you.' He felt Anna give his hand a warm stroke then, his gaze falling upon her before he offered her a small smile as he calmed down.

'I believe you when you say that, Mr. Bates.' The social worker admitted. 'And I can tell by looking at the two of you that you're serious about adopting a child.' Anna and John nodded in response. 'So I will write as positive a report as possible, but I am going to have to include that the two of you have spent time in prison. It will then be up to the adoption centre to decide if they are going to place one of their children in your care. I wish you both all the best, I truly do.' She offered them a gentle smile.

'Thank you.' They replied.

'I think we're done here.' She admitted as she closed her file and rose from the chair, Anna and John standing from the settee before the three of them looked at each other. 'It could take some time for the adoption centre to write to you with their decision – sometimes people wait for up to a month – but if I were you I would try and stay as positive as possible.' Anna and John offered her a soft smile. 'I should be going.' She admitted before picking her handbag up and allowing Anna to lead her out of the sitting room. 'I meant it when I said I wish you all the best.' She told her as they reached the door.

'Thank you.' Anna smiled as she handed her coat to her. 'Mr. Bates and I have wanted children for so many years now, but it would appear that I can't have any of my own. I _can_ get pregnant; I just can't keep it. I've thought about it though and I've come to the realization that I don't need to carry a child inside of my body in order to feel as though it's mine - I just need to hear a child call me its mummy.'

The social worker placed her hand upon her shoulder after buttoning up her coat. 'I hope it happens for you, Mrs. Bates, I mean that. I don't know if I should be saying this, really, but if there is anyone that you and your husband trust enough to provide a character reference then you might want to ask them. It might mean that your criminal records are overlooked by the adoption centre.' Anna's eyes lit up at her words, the social worker offering her a kind smile as she ran her hand down the outside of her arm. 'I'll go now so that you and your husband can get on with your day.' She admitted gently.

Anna then opened the front door for her before allowing her to leave the cottage, the two of them exchanging smiles before the social worker made her way up the path and she closed the front door behind her. She then made her way back into the sitting room where her husband was standing, her lips curling up into a tender smile as she approached him before wrapping her arms around his waist.

'All we need to do now is wait.' She told him as she ran her hands over his lower back and she felt his hands come to settle upon the span of her waist, John sighing as he gazed down at her. 'I know it was difficult for you to tell her about what your father did to you when you were little, but I can't tell you how proud you made me by doing so.' She rose up onto her tiptoes before brushing his lips with her own in a soft kiss. 'I also know that you worry that you're going to lash out at me during an argument one day or that you're going to be selfish when we make love, but I know for a fact that that is never going to happen. You are nothing like your father, John Bates, and I never want you to think that you will end up like him.' The corners of John's mouth curled up into a smile as he pulled her against him.

He gave her nose an affectionate graze with his own before he caught her in a long and slow kiss, the gentlest of hums escaping Anna as she curled her nimble fingers into the dark fabric of his waistcoat. Their lips moved over one another's in perfect sync for a time as the two of them stood in the centre of the sitting room, but John soon wanted more and so he swiped his tongue against her lower lip in a silent request for entrance. Her precious little whimper was permission enough before she allowed her perfectly sculpted hands to rest upon the sides of his neck as she parted her lips beneath his own, his tongue starting to dance with hers in a slow waltz. 'Oh, I love you.' She murmured between kisses.

'I love you too.' He reassured her as he cradled the back of her head in the palm of his hand.

Their passionate kiss continued for several long minutes before John began to trail his lips away from hers, soft sighs escaping Anna as she felt him trace the curve of her skull with his thumb as his mouth left simple little kisses across her cheek. His kisses became warm and slow when he reached her jaw, shivers coursing through her as she heard the deep hums of contentment that came from him as his lips ventured closer to her neck. Her legs betrayed her when his lips found the sensitive patch of skin just behind her ear, his arm tightening around her waist before she had chance to hit the floor as he chuckled against her. She placed one hand upon the back of his neck in order to hold him against her, her heart fluttering within her chest when he began to walk her backwards toward their little settee.

The two of them dissolved into laughter when they fell back onto it, Anna's hand remaining upon the side of his neck as she caressed his skin with her thumb. 'Mmm…why do I feel as though we've been here before?' He raised his brow at her as he held her close by the waist, a soft giggle escaping Anna.

'Perhaps because we have.' She told him with a smirk. 'Only, this time we haven't broken the settee.'

He gazed into her deep blue eyes in silence for a time before bringing his hand to her warm face and running the back of his palm down her flushed cheek, her eyes drifting closed of their own accord as she leaned into his caress. 'I don't think there is a single word to describe just how much I adore you.' Her eyes flickered open at that before she blessed him with a gorgeous smile and cuddled up to him. 'There isn't a thing about you that I don't love.' Anna rolled her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder.

'Marriage has turned you soft.' She placed her hand upon his chest, planting a kiss upon his cheek as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist and snugged her close with a delicate kiss to her brow. 'You mean the world to me.' She whispered as she curled up into his side and gazed up into his eyes.

'And you mean the world to me.' He used his fingertips to tuck the lock of blonde hair that had come loose from her neat up-do back behind her ear. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence then, John caressing Anna's waist with his hand as she nuzzled the side of his neck with the tip of her nose, the only sound to be heard being the slow ticking of the clock on the wall. Anna pulled back from his neck after a time, a beautiful sparkle in her midnight blue eyes as there was a warm smile on her lips. 'What is it, sweetheart?' John inquired, tracing the sharpness of her jawline with the tips of his fingers.

Anna draped her arm across his middle before releasing a soft sigh. 'I just can't believe that you and I could be decorating and turning our spare room into a bedroom for our child in a matter of months. I know that I shouldn't be getting excited – we don't even know if we're going to be accepted yet – but I just have so much hope and I want this so much that it hurts.' John pressed his lips to her head in a slow kiss. 'If we do get chosen to be adoptive parents, would you want a newborn or an older child?'

'That's a tough question.' He replied as he brought his arm to wrap around her shoulders. 'If we had a newborn, it might be easier for it to bond with us and to settle down here because of how young it is. Having a newborn might also mean that it hasn't had an awful past; it might just mean that a woman has felt as though she isn't capable of taking care of it herself and so she put it up for adoption.' Anna nodded as she listened intently to him. 'If we had an older child though, it might be more difficult for it to trust us and to feel safe here. Most older children are sent to adoption centres because they have been abused in some way; because it isn't safe for them to remain with their parents, and so it would take longer for us to gain it's trust and for it to be certain that we're not going to harm it in any way.'

Anna felt her eyes sting with tears. 'I don't care how old the child we choose to adopt is, John. I just want to be able to give it a better life than the one it had before it met us. I want to give it more love than the parents it had before did.' John hooked his finger beneath her chin before turning her head in his direction and pressing his forehead against her own, Anna sniffling as her eyes fluttered closed.

'There is no doubt in my mind that you are going to make the most incredible mother.' He whispered as he ran his hand along the length of her back in a soothing fashion. 'I know that you're going to be one of those mothers who reads their child a book at bedtime, but stays with it long after it's gone to sleep to make certain that it's safe. I know that you're going to be one of those mothers who lets their child climb into bed with her whenever it has a nightmare and holds it to her chest until it falls asleep again, and I know that you are going to make me so proud of you.' He placed a slow kiss on her nose.

The two of them allowed their noses to graze before her eyes opened and her head came to rest on his shoulder once more. 'I wish that you and I could just spend the day here and that we didn't have to go up to Downton. I just want to lie in your arms and have you hold me.' John smiled as he stroked the back of her neck with soothing brushes of his fingertips, eliciting the slightest of shivers from her.

'We can have dinner up at Downton tonight.' He told her as he leaned back against the settee. 'If we do that, we can go straight up to bed when we return home and we can cuddle whilst I read to you.' Anna felt her heart swell with love for him before she stretched up to press her lips softly against his. 'Mmm…' He sighed when their kiss ended. 'What was that for?' Anna stroked his warm face tenderly.

'For being you.' She admitted. 'The best husband I could ever ask for.'

* * *

She was unable to prevent the languid smile from spreading across her features as she was stood out in the courtyard a short time before dinner that evening, her back pressed flush against John's chest as his lips roamed over her neck and his arms were wrapped around her perfect waist from behind. 'I asked Lady Mary if she would provide me with a character reference when I went up to dress her for dinner earlier, and she said that she would.' She hummed as her eyes were closed and she revelled in the feeling of her husband kissing her neck, John's lips curling up into a smile against her smooth skin as he tightened his hold around her and drew her further into his embrace. 'Did you ask His Lordship if he would do the same for you?' She inquired as she covered his hands with her own upon her flat stomach, slipping her fingers through the gaps in his as he murmured quietly against her in response.

She turned in his arms after a time before placing her hands upon his chest and gazing up at him, her midnight blue eyes sparkling as he wrapped his arms around her once more and snugged her close to keep the evening chill from getting at her. 'What is it?' His brow creased when he watched her lower her gaze to his tie, Anna sighing as she lifted her loving gaze back to his and stepped further into him.

'Are you certain that you want this?' She asked. 'I don't want you to agree to adopting a child just to make me feel better. I want you to want this just as much as I do, John, I want us to become adoptive parents because we want to give a child a better life. I admit that part of me wants to adopt a child so that I can be a Mum, but there's so much more to it than that.' John released soothing shushes as he cupped her flawless face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers in a long kiss as she brought him closer.

He smoothed his thumbs across her cheeks when he drew back from her, her errant strands of wavy blonde hair blowing in the breeze as he smiled down at her. 'I admit that – at first – I brought up the subject of adoption because I wanted to see you smile, but now that I've had chance to think about it and now that we've had the interview and everything, I've realised that I want to be a Dad. I want to adopt because I want us to welcome a child into our lives and I've realised that a child doesn't have to resemble us in order to be ours. I want this so much, Anna, I promise you.' Loving tears burned in her eyes as she cupped the sides of his neck in her hands, a tearful sniffle escaping her as she went onto her tiptoes in order to leave a delicious kiss upon his lower lip. 'I just want to have a family with you.'

'You are going to make such an incredible father.' She told him as she traced his jaw with her thumbs and allowed him to hold her as close to him as possible. 'I know that you're going to be so protective and that you're going to love it so much, because that's the kind of man you are. I feel so blessed and so privileged to have you in my life and I know that our son or daughter will feel the exact same way.'

He allowed her to press her cheek against his chest then, his heart swelling as he dropped a kiss into her hair and his hands over her back. 'Don't you go falling asleep on me, madam.' He told her with a hint of a chuckle in his tone. 'I don't know how I would get you home if you did.' Anna giggled gently.

'But I'm so tired.' She sighed as she hid her face in his chest and felt him caress the back of her neck.

'And whose fault is that?' He teased as a smirk spread across his lips.

'I just wanted everything to be perfect for the social worker.' She said with a yawn. 'I was nervous.'

He rested his chin atop her head when she wrapped her arms around his middle. 'I know you were, my precious girl, but you did so well and I'm so proud of you. When we get home tonight I'm going to make us a cup of tea and you're going to go upstairs and get into your nightgown so that when I come upstairs we can get into bed and have a snuggle.' Anna pulled back from his chest, smiling up at him.

'I love snuggling with you.' She told him, fatigue coating her voice. 'I love it when you hold me close.'

'I know you do.' He pecked her lips. 'And I love having you in my arms just as much.'

The two of them spent the next few minutes gazing at one another as she looked up at him through fatigue-filled eyes and he stroked her face with the backs of his fingers, her chin settled on his chest as the moonlight shone down upon them and made the whole moment that little bit more romantic. 'Anna; Mr. Bates?' The sound of Mrs. Hughes' voice brought them out of the little bubble that they'd fallen into and the two of them separated before offering her kind smiles. 'Dinner has come through, so if you would be kind enough to make your way inside?' The two of them nodded in her direction.

'I love you, Mrs. Bates.' John whispered into his wife's ear once the housekeeper had gone inside.

'I love you too, Mr. Bates.' She rose up onto her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. 'So much.'

* * *

He didn't even attempt to fight the smile that formed upon his lips as he lay in silence beside his wife as it was nearing midnight later that same evening and he was able to feel her warm breath beating against the side of his neck, her head cushioned upon his shoulder as her arm was draped across his middle and her leg was tangled with his beneath the sheets. Anna had tried her hardest to stay awake long enough to hear him read one poem to her, but he hadn't even reached the second verse before her soft snores had been filling the air. It didn't surprise him though; she had been beyond exhausted.

Turning his head in her direction, he feathered a kiss against her forehead before drawing her closer. She stirred for a moment as he did so before she left several sleepy kisses upon the side of his neck, her fingers dancing along the curve of his side before she settled down beside him once more and fell back into slumber. 'Pleasant dreams, beautiful.' He whispered into the darkness of their bedroom as he ran his fingers through her long tresses of hair, feeling the slow rise and fall of her chest against his ribs as she snored and her dark lashes fluttered against his soft skin. Oh, how he adored that woman.

As Anna had said to him earlier that day: it felt surreal to think that the two of them could be turning the unused room next to their bedroom into a bedroom for their adopted son or daughter in a couple of months' time. He couldn't wait to lead his child upstairs and tuck it into bed before settling beside it and reading it a bedtime story, having it snuggle against him and rest its head on his chest whilst it listened closely to him. He hadn't quite realised just how much he yearned to be a father until he had signed his name at the bottom of the adoption forms two weeks prior. He was starting to get excited.

There was a high chance that he was going to be a father even if he didn't create the child himself and Anna didn't push it into the world. The two of them didn't have to be able to feel a child kick and shift around within her womb to know that it was theirs – they just needed to be able to hold it close and to cover its perfect little face with delicate kisses, letting it know just how desperately they adored it.

They just needed to bring their child home.

That was all that was needed for them to be a proper family.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I don't know how I feel about this chapter - I don't know if it's as good as my first two - but I hope you all enjoy nevertheless and please review!**

 **P.S. I swear to you all that it won't be long now unti you get to meet Anna and John's adopted child. I've already written the scene where Anna meets it, so I hope you enjoy it when its posted! xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: A shorter chapter than usual, I'm afraid, but it's late and I wanted to get this up because I am so excited for you all to meet the child that Anna and John are going to be adopting! I'm falling in love with it already, if I'm honest! This is just a bit of a filler chapter between the previous and the next, because I wanted to write about them hearing back from the adoption centre, so that's why it's not as long as the three other chapters I've written and why it may also not be of the highest quality. I hope you all enjoy though! Happy reading :-)**

* * *

'But it's almost been three months now, John, and we're _still_ waiting to hear back from the adoption centre.' Anna reminded him as the two of them left their little cottage one morning in order to start walking up to Downton, John offering her a tender smile as he closed the front door before locking it and tucking the key away in the breast-pocket of his jacket. He then limped over to his wife and took her gloved hand in his own, caressing her knuckles with his thumb as the two of them began to walk.

'I know that you're getting impatient, sweetheart, and I understand - truly, I do – but what you have to remember is that this isn't something little.' He cast his gaze down to her. 'The social workers are going to be putting a vulnerable child into our care if we get accepted as adoptive parents, so they're going to have to take their time when going through our file in order to make certain that they know everything about us.' Anna nodded as she gave a deep sigh, her head coming to rest on his shoulder.

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence for a time, the only sounds to be heard being the soft crunching of leaves and stones beneath their feet, before Anna lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. 'What are we going to do if the adoption centre write to us saying that we haven't been accepted?' She asked. 'I know that Lady Mary and His Lordship both tried their hardest with the character references that they did for us, but what if their character references made no difference?'

'Then we must learn to be content as we are.' He admitted as he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, Anna's eyes filling with tears as he ran the hand that wasn't grasping his cane along her arm through the sleeve of her uniform. 'You've never failed to make me the happiest man on earth, Anna, and that isn't going to change if worst comes to worst. If we don't get accepted as adoptive parents, we can still hope for a miracle, but if that miracle doesn't happen then we're going to get through it.'

A single tear escaped her eye and scrolled down her cheek before she felt John brush the fallen tear off of her skin with a slow sweep of his fingertips. 'I love you.' She breathed before slipping her arms around his middle and resting her cheek upon his chest, feeling a surge of warmth course through her veins when he dropped a warm kiss to her crown and ran his spare hand along the curve of her back.

'I love you too, darling.' He reassured her before she drew back from his chest and removed the soft tears from her cheeks, a loving smile gracing her features when she took his hand in hers once again and began to lead him up the forest trail that led to Downton. 'I don't want you to lose hope because we haven't heard back from them yet.' He told her once the two of them had walked for a short time. 'I don't want you to start upsetting yourself until we know for a fact that we haven't been accepted.'

She gave his hand a warm squeeze, pressing a kiss to his upper arm through his jacket.

'I'll be as strong as I can.' She promised him. 'Which shouldn't be too difficult, seeing as I have you.'

John felt his heart swell when she cuddled against him. 'You do.' He whispered. 'And you always will.'

* * *

It was later that same morning when Anna was stood behind her mistress as she was sat at the stool at her dressing table, her mind so filled with thoughts as she continued to bring a comb through her short dark hair that she didn't hear Lady Mary say her name until she had repeated it for what could well have been the third time. A soft gasp escaped her when she was snapped back to the present, a blush appearing in her cheeks when she glanced up to meet her mistress's somewhat concerned gaze through the mirror. 'You seem rather preoccupied this morning, Anna, is something the matter?' The eldest Crawley daughter inquired as she held her gaze, Anna letting out a sigh as she shook her head.

'It's nothing to bother you with, Milady, I'm just being stupid.' She reassured her, resuming her task.

She was stopped after a few moments, however, because Lady Mary had turned on her stool to face her. 'If this is about you and Bates adopting a child, then you must feel free to bother me with it. I'm involved now; I wrote a character reference for you, so I would like to know why you seem so down.'

'I just…' Anna stammered as she held the comb in her hands, '...It's been two-and-a-half months since the social worker came to interview Mr. Bates and I, and we still haven't heard anything back. Before we got here this morning, I thought that we might get a telegram in the morning post but there was nothing for us again. I'm just worried that the adoption centre has come to the decision that he and I wouldn't make suitable parents for an adopted child.' Lady Mary sighed as she stood from the stool.

She then placed a reassuring hand upon her maid's arm, brushing her thumb against the dark fabric of her uniform. 'Anna; I can't think of a couple _more_ suited to the role of adoptive parents than you and Bates. I know that the two of you spent some time in prison for crimes that you did not commit, but the references that His Lordship and I wrote for you should reassure the members of staff at the adoption centre that neither of you are dangerous people. The two of you _deserve_ to have children.'

'Thank you, Milady.' Anna offered her a warm smile of gratitude. 'It means a lot to hear you say that.'

'It's the truth.' Lady Mary told her. 'I have never heard of a couple more deserving of happiness than you, and there is no doubt in my mind that you're both going to have a child at the end of all of this.'

'I hope you're right.' Anna sighed when her mistress sat down once more and turned to her mirror.

'I've never been wrong before,' Mary laughed, 'So I don't imagine I'll be wrong this time!'

The two of them giggled together at that before Anna went back to combing her dark strands of hair, a small smile now etched into her features as she worked. Perhaps Lady Mary was right; perhaps she was worrying about nothing. The members of staff at the adoption centre would've read through the character references and taken them into account whilst deciding whether or not she and John would make good parents, and she knew that Lady Mary or His Lordship would never speak ill of them both.

She just needed to have hope, like John had told her.

And she was a natural at that.

* * *

'Just because we didn't get a telegram today, doesn't mean that we're never going to get one.' John told his wife when he was sat beside her at the table in the servant's hall that evening and the two of them waited for the bells to ring, his hand holding hers beneath the table as he kept his voice gentle. 'The adoption centre will write to us soon, sweetheart, I just know it.' Anna sighed as she leaned back in her chair, drawing soothing circles into the back of his palm as a fresh cup of tea sat in front of her.

She glanced up in order to meet his gaze a short time later before she felt a small smile spread across her lips when she saw the deep love that lived in his eyes. 'All of this waiting is what's hurting me the most. I keep trying to get excited and I think of how you and I could be painting the spare bedroom in a matter of weeks, but then I remember that we might not be blessed with a child and I feel my heart break. I want a child so much, Mr. Bates, I want to be able to hold it close to me when it needs me to and I want to be able to sing to it and put it to bed at night. I want to know how it feels to have a child depend on me for everything; to have a child look up to me and want to be like me when it grows up.'

John didn't care that the others were present as he reached up to stroke his love's cheek. 'I know you do, Anna, and I want that for you just as much. There isn't a woman on earth who deserves to have a child more than you, and I would do anything if it meant that I could increase our chances of adopting a child. We just have to be patient though, sweetheart, and hope for the best.' Anna gave his hand a loving stroke before reaching for her cup of tea and taking a long sip, allowing it to soothe her throat.

Just as she set the teacup down upon its saucer once again, however, Mr. Carson made his way into the room and the servants who were sat around the table rose out of respect for him. 'I apologise to the two of you for this, but it seems that I didn't realise there was a telegram for you amidst all of the others.' The butler admitted as he offered the envelope to Anna, the young woman's heart beginning to pound against her chest as she knew what would be in the envelope that was grasped in his hand.

'Thank you, Mr. Carson.' John answered for her as he was able to tell that she was in shock, the butler nodding before he left the servant's hall once more and everyone sat down back down in their seats.

'Is it from the adoption centre?' Miss Baxter asked as she sat opposite the two of them, John turning the envelope over in order to read the address that was neatly written in black ink on the other side.

'It is.' He nodded, realizing that all eyes were now fixed on him.

He paid the servants around him no attention as he turned to his wife, however, Anna sitting beside him as the nervousness was evident in her deep blue eyes and he saw her hands tremble somewhat. 'Do you want to open it?' He asked as he brought his hand to rest on her arm, Anna shaking her head.

'No,' She breathed, 'I want _you_ to open it.'

He gave her arm an affectionate squeeze in response before taking the butter-knife in front of him in his hand and holding his breath as he opened the sealed envelope, his own heart beginning to race in anticipation as he removed the folded up piece of paper and unfolded it in order to read what it said. He allowed his eyes to roam over the sheet of paper for a few moments before he felt his heart stop.

'Anna.' Was all he could manage as he eased the piece of paper into his wife's hand.

Anna then read the same words as he had done just seconds earlier before she clasped a hand over her mouth as a sharp gasp escaped her, her eyes burning with tears as she took in what the words in front of her meant.

 _Mr. and Mrs. John Bates,_

 _After due consideration, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as adoptive parents. We have every confidence that in due course you will be able to offer an otherwise unwanted child a very happy home._

She turned her head in John's direction when the rapid pounding of her heart began to calm, tears of sheer happiness sparkling in her eyes when their gazes met and there was a charming smile on her husband's face. 'We're going to be parents, John,' She managed to choke out as her voice was coated with tears, 'We're going to have a child!' The two of them shared a tender embrace then, the servants around them gasping and clasping their hands together with excitement and relief as he ran his hands over her back and felt her nuzzle against his neck. When the two of them released one another from their hold after remembering where they were, they took the other's hand in there's under the table as she went back to gazing down at the telegram in her hand in wonder. 'It says that they're going to telephone us at some point over the next few days so that we can talk about when would be best for us to go and see the children.' She admitted as she felt her husband smoothing his thumb across the warm skin at the back of her palm, along with feeling the gazes of the other servants burning into her. 'I - I just can't believe it.' She whimpered quietly.

'Congratulations to you both.' Miss Baxter piped up after a few moments, Anna casting her gaze over at her friend as the gratitude she felt towards her was evident in her eyes.

'Goodness knows you deserve it.' Mr. Molesley added from where he sat beside Her Ladyship's maid.

'Thank you.' Anna and John said at the same time before gazing at one another when the others went back to either their mending or reading, her heart fluttering in her chest when his hand found her knee beneath the table.

 _'What did I tell you?'_ He said with his eyes as he raised a brow at her.

 _'You silly beggar...'_ She replied with a tender gaze of her own. _'I love you.'_

 _'I love you too.'_ He brushed his thumb against her knee through the skirt of her dress. _'Eternally.'_

* * *

It was the late hours of that evening when the two of them were laying side-by-side in their marital bed, her head cushioned upon his bare chest as she was able to feel the rapid beating of his heart starting to even out as he held her in his arms. She was unable to remove the blissful smile from her lips as she traced tired little patterns into his dark chest hair with her fingertips, her eyes fluttering closed as she purred like a contented cat when he began to run the tips of his own fingers along the perfect curve of her spine. Even after the two of them had made love, they still desired to be as close to one another as possible. She brought her head to settle upon his shoulder once the two of them had lay together in a comfortable silence for a short time, the deep love and affection that she possessed for him evident in her dark blue eyes as she gazed up at him and traced his collarbone with her fingers as he let out a soft sigh.

'You're so gorgeous.' She shook her head in slight disbelief that the dear man before her was truly her husband, a quiet chuckle escaping him as he placed his hand upon the warm skin of her waist.

'You need your eyes testing.' He murmured against her temple when he pressed a languid open-mouthed kiss onto it. 'I am a lot of things, but gorgeous isn't one of them.'

'That's your own opinion and you are entitled to it, as I am to mine.' She smirked before reaching up to stroke several strands of errant dark hair out of his face. 'There isn't a single inch of you that I don't adore.'

John pressed his lips to her head when it came to rest upon his chest again. 'I could do with losing a few pounds.' He admitted.

'Mmm...' She shook her head in response as her eyes fell closed. 'There's more of you to love.'

'How about that scar that's on my knee?' He asked. 'It isn't the most attractive thing in the world.'

'Well, I love it.' She told him. 'I told you that years ago; I told you that your scar was a sign of how determined and noble you were during the Boer War, and I still stand by that.'

'Well, how about -'

'John Bates,' She giggled when she turned onto her front against his chest, cupping his face in her hands, 'I love _everything_ about you and that's the end of it. No more questions.'

She captured his lower lip in a long and delicious kiss then, allowing him to bury his hands into her blonde curls as their lips moved over one another's in perfect sync. She lingered for just a few moments upon his lower lip when their delectable kiss reached its end, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers before she drew back and brushed her nose against his in an affectionate manner. 'You are _perfect.'_ She smiled down at him as she stroked her thumbs across his flushed cheeks. 'I've thought that since the moment I met you and I know that our child is going to think the exact same when we bring it home.' She fell into silence for a few seconds. 'It feels so nice to be able to say that out loud.'

'You're going to be the best Mum in the whole of Yorkshire.' He told her as he gazed far into her eyes. 'I know that you're going to be loving but firm with our child, and I know that you're going to make me the proudest husband.'

'I can't wait until we have a child sleeping in the next room.' She sighed when she lay down beside him once again, her cheek coming to settle upon his chest before he covered her further with the quilt and began to stroke her hair as his chest rose and fell beneath her cheek. 'I know that things are going to be different for a while; I know that things are going to be far from straight-forward and I know that we're going to have our work cut out for us, but I want us to be able to climb into bed at night and have moments like this. Moments where we just talk about what we did during the day, and moments where we can just snuggle and not care about what's going on outside. I don't want us to start bickering because we're exhausted or because we struggled with something throughout the day, because we knew what we were getting ourselves into on the evening that we signed those adoption forms.' John smiled adoringly.

'I promise you that nothing will ever change between us.' He whispered as he stretched to turn out the lamp on his bedside table. 'No matter how challenging things might get.'

'I love you, John.' She hummed as she felt herself beginning to succumb to the sweet clutches of slumber.

'I love you too, Anna.' He spoke into the darkness as he wound an arm around her waist beneath the covers and snugged her close. 'Sleep well, sweetheart.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, I hope you all enjoyed that to an extent! As I said in the beginning, this was a short chapter because it's just a filler chapter, but I hope it wasn't too bad. Reviews to let me know what you all thought would be much appreciated! xx**

 **I hope you're all excited for the following chapter too, because that will be longer than this one and you will get to meet the little "Miracle"! Stay tuned! :-) x**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So, in this chapter you will be meeting the child that Anna and John will be adopting and I hope that you grow to love it as much as I do already! This chapter was a lot of fun to write and the next one - once again - will most likely be filled with fluff. I'm not sure if all chapters will be the same, but we'll see. Anyway, happy reading! x**

* * *

Warm and slow open-mouthed kisses along the side of his neck was what roused John from his deep slumber just a little over a week later, an incoherent murmur of contentment escaping him when he felt nimble fingers exploring the thick patch of dark hair that covered his upper torso. The pair of lips that were brushing delicious little kisses against his skin curled up into a gentle smile against his neck when the owner realized that he was no longer asleep, a surge of delight coursing through him when the sound of his wife's giggles reached his ears. 'Someone's in a good mood this morning.' He smiled when he allowed his eyes to flicker open and turned his head in Anna's direction, drinking in the sight of her with her long blonde hair hanging over her shoulders and a gentle blush in her smooth cheeks.

'I am.' She admitted as she cupped the side of his neck in her small palm and ran her thumb along his jaw, her lips seeking out his own before she left a languid kiss upon them. 'I get to spend all morning in bed with you and then we get to go to the adoption centre.' The excitement was evident upon her face when her head came to rest upon his shoulder, John giving her nose an affectionate nuzzle with his before she draped her leg over his hip and slung her arm over his middle to anchor herself to him. 'Do you think we might start decorating the spare bedroom soon? I know that it's going to be a while before we bring a child home, but I want to be prepared for when we do.' She felt John beginning to stroke her hair with the palm of his hand, his lips pressing to her hairline in a gentle kiss as he sighed.

'How about – after we've been to the adoption centre – we head into town and find some supplies?' He suggested. 'We can get some paint and paintbrushes and get the walls painted so that part of the decorating is done and dusted. Then – once we know if the child we're going to be bringing home is a girl or a boy – we can go out and find things such as furniture, clothes and toys for them.' Anna tilted her head back against his shoulder, her hand coming to rest just above his heart upon his strong chest.

'I still can't believe we're going to be parents soon.' She breathed as she gazed at him. 'I can't believe we're going to have a little boy or girl living with us before the end of the year. All of this waiting has paid off for us, and I can't tell you how pleased I am. I'm so excited, John.' A warm smile of adoration spread across John's features when he brought one of his hands up to stroke a long strand of blonde hair back behind her ear, falling more in love with her when her eyes fell closed as she revelled in the simple action. 'You're going to make the most incredible father.' She whispered. 'I just know you are.'

He snugged her closer as he drew the covers further over the two of them. 'I don't have the first clue about how to be a father.' He admitted. 'I didn't have a good role model growing up and I despise the thought of me ever hurting you or our child. Most of my childhood was spent sitting at the top of the staircase whilst I watched my father beat my mother black and blue. When I was a teenager I started to intervene when he would hit her – even though she would beg me not to – and even though I got some horrific beatings from him, it just proved to me all the more that I never wanted to be like him. The thought of me ever lashing out at our child makes me feel sick.' He heard his wife give a soft sigh.

'It breaks my heart to think of you and your mother being forced to endure all that – especially since I know what an amazing woman your mother was. She was never anything but kind to me when we would write to one another.' She looked up at him before cupping the curve of his cheek in her palm. 'But darling, just because your father was abusive towards you and your mother does not mean that you are going to be the same towards our child. If I thought that there was even the slightest chance of you abusing a child, then I never would have agreed to adopt one with you; I never would have tried for a baby with you in the first place. I trust you, darling, I mean that with everything that I am.'

'I love you so much.' He told her, the tearfulness evident in his voice.

'I love you too.' She smiled before pressing a number of kisses onto his mouth. 'And – if it makes you feel any better – I don't have the first clue about how to be a mother, either. I know that I took care of my little sister when I was growing up, but I just picked things up as I went along. Mother changed so much after father died and she would paddle me for the slightest thing. She was never abusive to me or Rose, but she still wasn't a good role model for the two of us. So it would seem that you and I are in the same boat.' She stroked his hair out of his face. 'We'll work things out together, I promise.'

John ran the palm of his hand along the curve of her spine. 'You're the best wife I could ever ask for.'

'And you,' She kissed his nose, 'Are the best husband. Now come here and kiss me.'

He didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

'Most of the children who live here are brought to us because it isn't safe for them to live at home. A large number of them had been neglected or abused before entering our care, but we strive to make them feel as loved and secure as possible here.' The social-worker told them as she led them down a long corridor that afternoon. 'We have separate play-rooms for each age-group so that all of the children can bond with other children that are the same age, but also because it decreases the risk of a child teasing another child because they're older and feel that they have more power than they do.'

John felt Anna give his hand an affectionate squeeze as she walked alongside him, her thumb running across his knuckles as she continued to listen to the elder woman before them. 'I'll take you both to look in on the toddlers first because they've just woken from their naps and they're having lunch, so they're not going to be causing _too_ much trouble.' The social-worker gave them a kind smile as Anna released a soft giggle, John pressing his lips to the side of his wife's head when the social-worker had her back to them. It wasn't long until the three of them reached the room that the toddlers were sat in as they ate their lunch, Anna and John smiling as they peered in through the large window and saw a number of young children sat around a small table as they ate sandwiches and pieces of fresh fruit.

'The children in here are aged between three and four years old.' The social-worker admitted, 'Some of them have only been with us for just a matter of weeks, whereas others have been here since they were a few weeks old. The ones who have been in our care since they were babies are the ones who are the most settled because it's all they've ever known. The ones who have just entered our care are still settling in and finding it hard to trust us.' Anna was trying her hardest to listen to the woman next to her – she was, truly – but she was unable to tear her gaze away from a beautiful little girl who had the curliest red hair that she had ever seen. 'Ah,' The social-worker smiled when she noticed what had grasped the young woman's attention, 'I see you've spotted our little angel.' Anna turned to face her.

'I don't mean to be impertinent,' She admitted as she felt her husband's hand come to rest upon the small of her back through her dress, 'But I'm just curious as to why she's being bottle-fed if all of the other children are on solid food.' There was a small crease in her brow as she looked up into her eyes.

The social-worker released a gentle sigh as she glanced into the play-room at the red-haired toddler who was being cradled in another woman's arms, her eyes closed as she sucked on the nipple of her bottle. 'Adelaide has been with us for the last year-and-a-half.' She said as she could feel the gazes of Anna and John burning into her. 'She's had one of the worst pasts that I've ever heard of and when I think of what she was put through before she came to us, my heart breaks. She was neglected when she was an infant; her bedroom was a small room at the back of her parents' cottage, and there was no window or anything in there. There was just a small wooden cot in the far corner of the bedroom. It was her father's sister who informed us of the conditions that she was living in, and when I and the woman you see feeding her found her when she was one-and-a-half, we both cried. She was wearing a filthy nightgown and it was clear to us that she hadn't been bathed for quite some time, and when we gave her the once over we noticed that she had countless bruises and scars and a severe case of nappy rash.' Anna felt tears sting her eyes as she listened, John trailing his hand up and down her back.

'We removed her from the house and her parents were arrested just hours later for child neglect and abuse, but she didn't come to live here for another year because we felt that her aunt would be able to care for her. Adelaide lived with her aunt and uncle for a year before her uncle brought her here and the only explanation that he gave me for doing so was that his wife was pregnant. He said that it would be too difficult for the two of them to meet the demands of a newborn as well as the demands of Adelaide.' When the social-worker turned back to the couple, she was able to see the tears brimming in Anna's eyes. 'The neglect and abuse that she suffered from as an infant has meant that her mental age is much younger than her physical age. She is still capable of doing everything that the other toddlers can do, but she still needs to be bottle-fed because in her mind she's still two years old. She knows a couple of words, but she still can't put them into a coherent sentence. That's one of the reasons why she hasn't been adopted yet – people who want a toddler want a _toddler_ and not a baby.' Unbeknownst to one another, both John and Anna's heart broke at the social-worker's words. How could anyone put a child through so much?

'But she's so beautiful.' Anna sniffled as her gaze fell once again upon the red-haired toddler who was now sitting up in the other social-worker's lap, a charming smile on her lips as she clapped her hands. 'I don't understand how anyone could look at her and not want her to be theirs; she's such a darling.'

The social-worker nodded in agreement. 'I have to agree with you on that one, Mrs. Bates. I think it's impossible for someone to be in the same room as Adelaide and not fall in love with her. I admit that she is rather quiet and turns shy when it comes to meeting new people, but once she starts warming up to someone she's just the sweetest little thing. I've had the most involvement in her case since she came here, so she trusts me more than she trusts the other members of staff. One of the things that I love most about her is how she shuffles over to me on her bottom when I go in there to sit with her.' Anna and John chuckled at that as he continued to draw comforting circles into the small of her back.

Even though she hadn't said that she wanted to adopt Adelaide, John was able to tell that Anna had taken a strong interest in the little girl. She hadn't been able to stop looking at her since she'd caught her eye, and the expression that was on her face told him everything he needed to know. The gentle giggle that escaped his wife was what brought him back to the present a short time later and when he turned his attention back to Adelaide, he saw what had amused Anna so. The little girl was shuffling on her bottom towards a teddy-bear that was laying on the floor, a determined expression upon her freckled face as her red curls bounced. 'Oh, John, just look at her.' Anna whispered, gazing up at him.

'You're quite welcome to go in there and sit with her for a while if you would like.' The social-worker smiled. 'I can't promise you that she'll approach you, but she'll notice that you're there and knowing her she'll sit there staring at you the whole time.' Anna felt her heart begin to flutter with excitement.

'Can I, John?' She asked as she looked up at him, hope sparkling in her eyes.

Her husband chuckled as he smoothed the backs of his fingers across her porcelain cheek. 'You don't need my permission, my sweet one.' He told her. 'There's no rush either; we don't have to be back at Downton until six.' Anna planted a soft kiss upon his cheek before offering the social worker a smile, the elder woman nodding in response before she opened the door to the room that the toddlers were in and allowed Anna to enter ahead of her, a quiet sigh escaping her as she shut the door behind her.

'I'll take you over.' She smiled when she came to stand beside Anna. 'I think that Adelaide might feel a little more comfortable around you if I sit with the two of you for a while, because it'll reassure her that she's not going to get hurt.' Anna nodded before she started to follow the social worker over to where Adelaide was sat with her teddy-bear, touched at the clear affection that the woman held for the toddler. 'Just take a seat there for a moment whilst I talk to her.' The dark-haired woman told her as she gestured towards the plastic chair, Anna doing as she had said before she watched as she knelt down in front of the red-headed little girl. 'Hello, Addie,' The social worker kept her voice soft so not to startle Adelaide, the three-year-old's dark green eyes lighting up at the sight of her as she reached out to caress her warm cheek. 'Sarah has brought a friend to see you today, sweetheart, her name's Anna and she's just going to sit and watch you play, alright?' Adelaide just gave Sarah a cheeky smile.

When Sarah rose from her knelt position to pull up a small plastic chair of her own, Adelaide turned her head in Anna's direction before holding her gaze for several moments as she took the ear of her teddy-bear into her mouth and began to suck on it. 'Another thing about Adelaide,' Anna came back to the present at the sound of Sarah's voice after a time, 'Sucking on things comforts her. She likes to comfort nurse before she goes to sleep at night, so a woman – who has children of her own and who volunteers here – comes in at six o'clock every evening to just sit and nurse her. That's another reason why people are reluctant to adopt her. Some women don't like the thought of nursing another's child.'

Anna felt her heart sink as she cast her tender gaze down to the precious three-year-old who was still sat looking at her, her heart swelling when she saw the corners of Adelaide's mouth curl up into the sweetest of smiles. _'How could anyone_ _not_ _want to adopt her?_ ' She asked herself as she gazed at her.

'I'm going to leave the two of you alone for a little while now and see how you get on.' Sarah smiled. 'I'll be standing right outside with your husband.' Anna offered her a grateful nod as she reciprocated her smile and leaned back in the plastic chair. 'Bye bye, Addie.' Sarah waved at Adelaide as there was a loving sparkle in her eyes, the little girl waving back at her before she began to make her way over to the door once again. Once she had stepped out of the room and had shut the door behind her, she and John exchanged a smile before she made to stand at his side. 'I can see that Mrs. Bates likes her.'

John nodded as his gaze was fixed on his wife and he watched as she smiled down at Adelaide, falling more in love with her as he hadn't seen such happiness on her face since before she had miscarried with their child. 'I think that's an understatement.' He chuckled. 'How long does it take for one of the children to leave here and join a family after the parents have decided that they would like to adopt it?' He raised his brow at Sarah when he turned to face her, the dark-haired woman gazing up at him.

'That all depends on how much time the parents in question would like to spend with the child before making their decision.' She admitted. 'Sometimes it can take a couple of weeks and sometimes it can take a couple of months, so I'm afraid I can't give you an exact answer.' John smiled before falling into silence for a moment as he began to think, a gentle sigh escaping him as he gazed at Anna once more.

'I know that Anna and I haven't seen the rest of the children here yet, but I don't think we need to. I can tell that she loves Adelaide – I could see it in her eyes the moment she looked at her. Anna and I could look at hundreds of children, but I know that Adelaide would always be there at the forefront of her mind.' A smile of sheer joy spread across Sarah's warm lips when he cast his gaze down to her.

'It would appear that Adelaide has taken to Anna also!' She breathed as she felt her heart swell when she peered through the window, tears burning in the back of her eyes when she saw Adelaide sitting in Anna's arms with her teddy-bear. 'I – I've never seen Adelaide warm up to someone so fast before!'

John's deep hazel eyes were filled with nothing but love and pride for his wife as he too watched her snuggling with the three-year-old. 'Anna is a wonder with children. She had to be a mother figure to her younger sister when she was eight because her father died and her mother turned to the drink in order to cope with the pain she felt. Their mother was never violent to them, but she left everything in Anna's care and so she had to grow up much faster than she should have. On top of that, when her mother remarried, she became a victim of sexual abuse from her stepfather.' Sarah sighed up at him.

'That's such a burden for such a little girl.' She shook her head. 'But – as saddening as that is – it's paid off for her because she's managed to get Adelaide to fall in love with her.' She and John smiled as their gazes fell upon Anna and Adelaide, the two of them standing in silence for a few moments as they watched Anna run the tips of her fingers through the toddler's red curls as Adelaide chewed on her teddy-bear's ear. 'If you and Anna would like to,' Sarah spoke up after a time, breaking the silence that had fallen between she and John, 'You can take Adelaide out for a few hours when you have the time. If the two of you are thinking of adopting her it might help her to form a bond with you both in advance.' John thought the idea over in his head before a soft grin graced his features as he nodded.

'This coming Tuesday is our next half-day, so we could purchase some things for her and come and pick her up at lunchtime before taking her out for the afternoon.' He said. 'Or is that too short notice?'

'No, that's fine.' She beamed. 'She would have to be back for six o'clock though, so that we can give her a bath and get her into her nightgown so that she can start to settle down for bed.' She admitted.

'We can do that.' He reassured her. 'Anna's going to be so excited.'

'I'll let you give Anna the good news, Mr. Bates.' She giggled. 'But I think it's going to be quite a while before Adelaide allows her to move. Would you like a cup of tea whilst you're waiting?' She inquired.

John gave a respectful nod in response. 'If it's not too much trouble.'

'Not at all.' She replied. 'Have a seat and I'll be back in a few minutes.'

She then turned on her heel before heading down the long corridor to the kitchen as John sat down in the comfortable chair at the window. He knew without a doubt– just by watching the two of them share a snuggle as they sat together – that Anna and Adelaide had completely fallen for one another.

Their bond had already begun to form.

It was a match made in heaven.

* * *

It was later that same afternoon when Anna and John were walking into town together after she had thanked Sarah for allowing her to meet Adelaide, her gloved hand caught in his as she walked beside him and their fingers were laced. The two of them had exchanged a couple of words since they'd left the adoption centre, but other than that she had been silent as she had thought about the precious red-headed little girl that had been settled against her chest with her teddy less than an hour earlier.

She just couldn't understand why Adelaide still hadn't been adopted. She was the gentlest, cuddliest, sweetest little thing that she had ever clapped eyes on and knowing that no-one wanted to welcome her into their life was almost as heart-breaking as knowing that she had suffered abuse from the two people who were supposed to have loved her the most. She didn't even know Adelaide's parents and yet she hated them - hated them for leaving their daughter in such sordid conditions and for causing her such pain. Sarah had told her that one of the reasons for Adelaide having not been adopted was because she had to be comfort-fed before she went to bed at night and some women didn't like the thought of nursing another woman's child, but Anna knew that she would do that and much more if it meant that Adelaide could be hers. She wanted that little girl more than anything else in the world.

She was brought out of her thoughts when a pair of lips came into contact with the side of her head, a small smile spreading across her features when she glanced up at her husband and saw the love in his eyes. 'I know you've been thinking about Adelaide since we left the adoption centre.' He told her as he brushed his thumb across her knuckles, Anna letting out a gentle sigh as she squeezed his hand.

'I don't know what it is, but there's something about her that just has me so drawn to her. I know we didn't go and look in on the other children at the adoption centre, but even if we _had_ I know that all I would have thought about was Adelaide. You should've seen her, John; you should've seen how she came shuffling over to me and lifted her arms to tell me that she wanted me to hold her. I know that all I know about her so far is that she's had a terrible past, but I – I think I might've fallen in love with her.' John gave a gentle chuckle before Anna looked up into his eyes once again, her brow furrowing.

'What?' She asked.

John sighed with a loving smile as the two of them walked over to the tea-room on the other side of the street. 'I wanted to tell you when we got home tonight, but now that you've said all of that I don't think I can wait that long.' The confusion was still evident in Anna's deep blue eyes when they came to the small wooden bench outside the tea-room, the two of them lowering themselves down onto it before he brought their joined hands to rest in his lap and drew soothing circles into the back of hers.

'I don't know what you mean.' She admitted.

John reached up with his spare hand in order to caress her cheek. 'When you and Adelaide were sat together in the play-room and Sarah came back out, we started talking. She told me that she was able to tell that you'd taken to Adelaide and that Adelaide had taken to you. That led to me telling her that I knew that even if we had looked at hundreds of other children, Adelaide would still be there at the forefront of your mind.' Anna nodded, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. 'Sarah then told me that – if you would like to – we can take Adelaide out for an afternoon to see if she starts to bond well with the two of us. If she does, we can start taking things further and we could adopt her.'

Warm tears burned in the back of Anna's eyes as she clasped her spare hand over her mouth when a tearful gasp left her. 'Really?' She whimpered before covering their joined hands with her spare one.

'Really, sweetheart.' He nodded as he shifted closer to her on the bench. 'I told Sarah that you and I have our half-day on Tuesday, so – if you're up for it – we could come up here at lunchtime and pick her up and then we can take her out somewhere for the afternoon. Sarah reassured me that she will provide everything for her: a pushchair, made-up bottles, clean cloths and other things that Adelaide is going to need. If we do take her out we have to have her back at the centre for six o'clock, but that will give us at least five-and-a-half hours with her if we take her out on Tuesday. What do you think?'

Her answer was in the long passionate kiss that she left upon his lips once she had cupped his face in her hands, her tongue dancing with his own as she paid no attention to anyone who might have been walking past them at that moment. When the two of them parted after several long moments, their breathing was fast and ragged and one of his hands were settled upon her hip through her thin dress as her hands had slipped down to the sides of his neck and she pressed her forehead against his own.

'Yes.' She breathed when her eyes flickered open and their gazes met, a precious smile upon her lips.

'That's settled then.' He pressed the softest of kisses onto her brow.

'Oh, I love you.' She giggled when the two of them rose from the bench after a time and she took his hand in her own once more, allowing him to lead her up to the entrance to the quaint little tea-room.

'I love you too, Mrs. Bates.' He reassured her with a squeeze of her hand. 'I always have.'

* * *

'Relaxed, are we?' He chuckled when Anna released yet another soft sigh of contentment as the two of them were laying together on the settee in their sitting room that night, her head cushioned on his chest as her slender arm was draped over his middle and he continued to stroke her long blonde hair.

A tired giggle left her at his comment before she tilted her head back upon his chest and allowed him to brush a delicious kiss against her lips. 'You've spoiled me this evening, Mr. Bates.' She admitted as she lay her head back down upon his chest and felt him run his hand along her spine through her thin nightgown. 'A hot bath with salts and rose-petals followed by lovemaking by candlelight, and then to top it all off you managed to cook me a meal that was edible for once!' She dissolved into infectious giggles when he tickled her waist in response, John chuckling as he pressed slow kisses to her crown.

'You deserved it after all you've been through over the last couple of months.' He told her as he held her closer and felt her settle against him. 'You deserved to have at least one evening to just relax and allow me to spoil you.' She felt her heart swell as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt and buried her head underneath his chin. 'I love seeing you so content and happy.' He whispered quietly.

'That's all I ever am when I'm with you.' She murmured as her eyes fell closed.

'Get some sleep, love.' He told her as he drew the warm blanket that hung over the back of the settee over the two of them, making sure to cover her with more of it in order to keep out the evening chill.

'Goodnight, John.' She yawned before draping her leg over his hip and allowing herself to drift off.

'Goodnight, Anna.' He spoke into her hair when she began to snore. 'I love you.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: So I hope you all enjoyed that! I also hope that you start to fall in love with Adelaide just as much as Anna and I have, haha! I would be so grateful if you would also review to let me know what you thought of this chapter, and thank you all for your continued support. See you soon! x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I know that uploads have been quite frequent, but I'm thinking of writing a few more chapters before I post the next one so that I can spend some time working on the other stories I have on this account. I will still be uploading this story at least once or twice a week, but I don't think it will be daily anymore. I hope you all continue to love this fic, however, and I hope you fall more in love with Adelaide with every chapter! Happy reading! x**

* * *

'She's just had her cloth changed and she was fed half-an-hour ago, which means that she shouldn't need feeding again until about four o'clock.' Sarah said as she was stood with the two of them at the adoption centre that following Tuesday, John nodding in response as Anna continued to gaze down at Adelaide and the three-year-old beamed up at her from where she was sat in her pushchair. 'I'm not sure if she's going to need changing whilst you're out with her, but if she does she's got a clean dress and a few clean cloths in the bag. Do you know where you're all going to be spending the afternoon?'

John turned to her from gazing over at his wife, a smile forming upon his lips. 'Anna and I are friends with a man who owns a farm, so we were thinking of taking Adelaide there so that she can see some of the animals. We ran it past him a couple of days ago and he said that it's fine if we take her there.'

'Adelaide loves animals.' Sarah admitted. 'We take the children on days out sometimes and she loves it so much whenever we take her out to a farm. I should warn you, however, that she tends to throw tantrums whenever it's time to leave.' John chuckled as he turned to gaze over at Anna and Adelaide.

'I'll make a note of that.' He reassured her.

Sarah offered him a smile. 'The three of you should get going. I'll just say goodbye to her.' She took a step past him then before walking over to Anna and Adelaide, her heart swelling when Adelaide cast her perfect green eyes up at her and flailed her little arms around in excitement. 'I want you to be on your best behaviour whilst you're out with Anna and John, alright?' She raised her brow at the three-year-old as she ran her fingers though her soft red curls, Adelaide blessing her with a beautiful smile. 'Good girl.' She giggled before leaning down to press her lips to her warm forehead in a delicate kiss.

She then returned to her mediocre height before meeting Anna's gaze and noticing the happiness in the young woman's blue eyes as she held to the handlebar of the pushchair. 'She's always a good girl whenever we take her out somewhere, so I don't think she'll give you much trouble whilst you're out with her. If she does, it'll just be because she's starting to get tired.' Anna nodded with a warm smile. 'Right, I'll let the three of you get going and I'll see you at six. Bye bye, Addie.' Sarah crooned quietly.

The three-year-old waved at her in response before she turned to walk down the long corridor, Anna sighing when she felt John place his hand upon her upper back through her coat. 'Come on, you.' He kissed the side of her head. 'Let's get going.' She nodded as she gazed up at him before allowing him to press a kiss onto her lips, nothing but love in her eyes when she turned back to Adelaide and gave her smooth cheek an affectionate caress before her husband opened the door to the centre and she pushed the pushchair through it. 'Are you excited?' He asked her as the two of them started to walk.

'I am.' She beamed. 'Are _you_ excited, Addie?'

The little girl responded with a heart-warming giggle as she snuggled with her soft brown teddy-bear.

'I'll take that as a yes.' John laughed as he slid his arm around his wife's waist. 'I'm quite excited too.'

It was a very exciting day for all _three_ of them.

* * *

It wasn't long until the three of them were walking into the courtyard at Downton so that John could go inside and pick up the picnic lunch that Mrs. Patmore had made up for he and Anna, little Adelaide cooing in her pushchair as she sucked on the ear of her teddy-bear. 'I won't be long.' John reassured his wife before leaning to kiss her on the cheek, Anna blessing him with a loving smile as she pushed the pushchair back and forth in a soothing motion. He then walked over to the door that led into the servant's quarters before making his way inside, Anna smiling down at Adelaide with love in her eyes.

'It won't be long now, sweet pea, and then we can go and look at some animals!' She told her before reaching to stroke an errant red curl back behind the beautiful little girl's ear, Adelaide's deep green eyes fluttering closed as she nuzzled against her hand. Anna felt her heart fill with love for her as she was able to tell that she trusted her now, her eyes sparkling with tears as she stroked her warm face.

The sound of the door to the servant's quarters squeaking on its hinges prompted Anna to glance up from Adelaide, her lips curling up into a kind smile as she watched Mrs. Hughes come outside. 'Might I have a look at the wee one that you haven't been able to stop talking about for the past week?' The elder woman teased, Anna releasing a giggle as she nodded and took a step back from the pushchair. 'She's a beautiful little lass, isn't she?' The housekeeper smiled as she looked down at the young girl.

There was an uncertain look in Adelaide's eyes as she gazed up at the unfamiliar woman, Anna giving her hair a tender stroke to reassure her that all was well before the red-headed little girl blessed her with a perfect smile. 'She's the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen.' She admitted. 'Inside _and_ out, which makes me wonder how her parents could have been so abusive to her. She had such a terrible start in life, Mrs. Hughes, it makes me feel sick to think about what her parents put her through as a baby.' The housekeeper sighed before placing a gentle hand on her arm, caressing it with her thumb.

'She might have had an awful start in life, Anna, but that doesn't mean that the rest of her life will be that way. I know that you and Mr. Bates would treat her like the most important thing in the world if you were to adopt her and I know that you would love her just as much as you would if she were one of your own.' Anna turned her head in the direction of the elder woman at her words before turning to embrace her, a tearful sigh escaping her as she felt Mrs. Hughes running her hands over her spine.

'It means so much to me to hear you say that.' She sniffled against her shoulder.

Mrs. Hughes smiled as she tightened her hold around her waist. 'I meant every single word.'

The two of them parted from their embrace after a few moments before Anna turned her attention back to Adelaide and ran the back of her palm down her cheek. 'If things go well today and Adelaide bonds with Mr. Bates and I, she could be ours within the next month. I know that it hasn't even been a week since I first met her, but I love her more than I can explain and I _know_ I want to be her Mum.'

'How does Mr. Bates feel?' The housekeeper asked.

'I think – at first – he was thinking of adopting her just because he could see how happy I was when I was sat with her, but I think she's starting to grow on him now.' Anna smiled. 'He allowed her to sit in his lap when we were coming back from Ripon so that she could look out of the window, and he was talking to her and making her laugh the whole time. I've never seen him like that before; it was such a nice thing to see.' Mrs. Hughes revelled in Anna's happiness as she cast her gaze down at Adelaide.

She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Anna and Mr. Bates were going to end up adopting her.

The servant's quarters door squeaked upon its hinges again a few minutes later, both Anna and Mrs. Hughes glancing up from the three-year-old in the pushchair before smiling as John came outside with the picnic basket grasped in his free hand. 'We should be off.' Anna admitted once John had come to stand at her side. 'We'll see you in the morning, Mrs. Hughes.' The elder woman nodded with a smile.

'I hope the three of you have a wonderful afternoon together.' She told the two of them.

'I think we will.' John admitted. 'It's a nice day for it.'

'It is.' She agreed. 'Now, I'll let you get going.' She then turned on her heel to walk back inside, John's hand seeking out Anna's lower back as she started to push Adelaide's pushchair out of the courtyard.

He brushed his thumb against her lower back through the pale blue fabric of her dress as the two of them walked along the road that led them away from the prestigious house and out onto the estate, Anna crooning at Adelaide before the little girl babbled up at her with a large grin on her face. He felt his heart swell when his wife allowed her head to fall back against his shoulder, her perfect blue eyes filled with unmistakable happiness as she gave him a tender smile. 'I love her so much.' She told him.

'I know you do, sweetheart.' He kissed her brow. 'And I know that she loves you just as much.'

'How do you feel about her?' She inquired.

He smiled down at the red-headed three-year-old as she played with her teddy-bear before meeting his wife's gaze once more. 'I have to admit that she's starting to grow on me.' He admitted as he ran his hand along the small of her back. 'I didn't think it would happen so soon, but it has.' The love and joy was evident in Anna's eyes at his words and he couldn't resist leaving a kiss upon her luscious lips.

'I'm so glad.' She nuzzled his neck. 'I want her to be ours, John, I want her to come and live with us.'

'Let's see how things go this afternoon.' He told her as he drew her close. 'If everything goes to plan; if Adelaide bonds and seems content with the two of us, we can tell Sarah that we want to adopt her and go from there.' Anna felt her heart race as her lips curved up into a gentle smile against his neck.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been so excited.

All of her hoping and praying had been worth it.

She was going to have a child to dote on at last.

* * *

'Shall we go and see the horses, Addie?' Anna crooned when she had the young girl balanced on her hip a few hours later and she spotted three of Mr. Mason's horses grazing in their paddock, Adelaide giving a gentle squeal of delight as she clapped her hands together. She and John laughed together in response before she started to walk over to the paddock, the three-year-old babbling as she pointed at the horses once the three of them had come to a slow stop. 'Aren't the horses beautiful, sweetie?'

She felt her heart fill with love for her when her head came to rest upon her shoulder, her blue eyes drifting closed when she turned her head to press a simple kiss into her red curls. The three of them watched the horses graze for a time before Anna giggled when she noticed one of them beginning to walk over to them, John running a loving hand along the length of her back. 'It looks like one of them wants to come and say hello!' Adelaide's arms flailed in excitement, her gentle green eyes wide open.

The brown mare came to a stop in front of the three of them before Anna brought her hand up to its neck and started to give it a soothing stroke, revelling at how soft its mane was. 'Do you want to give the horse a stroke, darling?' She asked when she turned her head in Adelaide's direction, a beautiful smile spreading across the little girl's face. 'You have to be gentle though, alright?' She then took the three-year-old's hand in her own before bringing it to the horse's neck and permitting her to give it a slow stroke. 'She's such a sweetie.' She smiled when she looked up at her husband, John feathering a caress against her soft cheek as he reciprocated her smile and there was nothing but pride in his eyes.

The sound of Adelaide's stomach rumbling caused Anna to giggle after a few minutes, her lips finding the warm skin of her temple as she stroked her curls with the palm of her hand. 'Is someone starting to get hungry?' She laughed as she snugged her closer, Adelaide wrapping her arms around her neck.

John retrieved his pocket-watch from the breast-pocked of his jacket before taking a look at the time. 'It's coming up to four o'clock.' He announced. 'Sarah did tell me that she might need feeding at that time.' Anna nodded before bouncing Adelaide in her arms when she began to whimper, noticing that she had started to chew on her fist. 'Should we go and find your bag so that you can have something to eat, sweetheart?' John asked before giving her a light tickle beneath the chin, the little girl giggling in response before she reached for him and Anna allowed her husband to remove her from her hold.

Once he had her balanced on his hip, her head came to settle upon his shoulder and she nuzzled into his neck before huffing in contentment. 'Well, you can't say she hasn't taken to you.' Anna teased as she folded her arms across her chest and smirked up at him, John chuckling as he brushed his thumb against the smooth skin of Adelaide's leg. 'Come on,' She smiled, 'Let's go and find her bag; I'm sure that Mr. Mason won't mind warming her milk up for us. We can get our picnic then as well; I have to admit that I'm starting to get a little hungry.' The two of them then began to walk towards the small farmhouse that was a short distance away, Adelaide curling her fingers into the fabric of John's shirt.

* * *

'I have to admit that you look like you're in your element there, Mr. Bates.' Anna admitted when she leaned back against the trunk of the tree that the two of them were sitting under a short while later, a glass of lemonade in her hand as she watched her husband cradle Adelaide in one arm against his chest whilst he gave her her bottle. 'I don't think I've ever seen such a settled child before in my life!'

John lowered his gaze to the three-year old as she was calm and quiet in his hold, Adelaide gazing up at him through half-lidded eyes as her little hand rested upon his much larger one on the side of her bottle and she continued to take her feed. The more he studied her beautiful little face, the more he noticed little things about her that he hadn't noticed earlier. He noticed that she had a birthmark on the left-side of her face, that the bridge of her nose and the apples of her cheeks had a slight dusting of freckles over them and that when her eyes were half-lidded they held the most charming glimmer.

Anna's chin coming to rest upon his shoulder prompted him to glance up from Adelaide after a time, a loving smile spreading across his features as he turned his head towards her. 'I now know what you meant when you said that you fell in love with her as soon as you held her in your arms.' He told her when she slipped her arms around him and grazed the side of his neck with the tip of her nose. 'You know; I think we _should_ speak to Sarah about adopting her when we get back to the centre with her tonight.' An excitable gasp escaped his wife when she drew back from his neck, her eyes glimmering.

'Do you mean it?' She beamed. 'You're not just saying that because I said that I wanted to adopt her earlier?' John shook his head before giving her nose a delicate brush with his own, a smile on his lips.

'I thought it would take me a few weeks at least to fall in love with her; I never thought that I'd fall in love with her so soon, but I have. I adore everything about her: the sound of her laugh, her smile, the way that she buries her face into my neck whenever I hold her and the way that her eyes just light up whenever she looks at the two of us.' He saw the tears brimming in her eyes as she listened to him. 'I know that we didn't create her; I know that you didn't give birth to her, but all that we have to do to make her ours in the eyes of the law is sign our names on the bottom of a sheet of paper. She'll be a Bates then, regardless of how she came to us.' Anna let out a tearful sigh before bringing her hand to the side of his neck and cupping it in her palm, his lips warm against her own as she kissed him softly.

'I love you both so much.' She sniffed after pulling back from him once their kiss had reached its end.

'I love you both too.' He reassured her when she cuddled up to him. 'More than I can put into words.'

The two of them then went back to gazing down at the beautiful little girl that was settled in the safe cradle of John's arms, Adelaide's eyes now shut as her sucks were slow and irregular upon the nipple of her bottle and it was clear to them that she was beginning to succumb to the clutches of slumber.

Their hearts swelled with deep love for her when the realization dawned on them that they were no longer gazing down at a little girl that they were thinking about adopting, but were gazing down at a little girl who they knew in their hearts was going to be their daughter in just a couple of weeks' time.

The two of them were going to be parents and knowing that made them happier than they could say.

* * *

It was a few minutes before six o'clock when Anna and John made their way through the door to the adoption centre with Adelaide, the young girl balanced on Anna's hip as she was fast asleep with her head on her shoulder and John pushed the pushchair. 'I don't want to let her go.' Anna sighed as she stroked the three-year-old's red curls with the tips of her fingers, the sadness that she was feeling at the thought of saying goodbye to Adelaide evident in her midnight blue eyes as she gazed up at John.

'I know you don't, my sweet one.' He replied as he reached up to tuck a soft blonde strand of her hair back beneath her ear. 'It isn't going to be forever though; you know it isn't. In just a few weeks we're going to be taking her home with us and we'll never have to say goodbye to her again.' His wife gave a gentle nod in response before turning her head to press several delicate kisses into Adelaide's hair.

'I see that you've managed to wear her out.' The two of them turned in place at the sound of Sarah's voice, Anna snugging Adelaide closer before the little girl whined and nuzzled further into the side of her neck before settling back into slumber once again. 'How was your day out at the farm? I do hope that she didn't give you too much trouble.' Anna and John shook their heads, offering her soft smiles.

'She's been as good as gold since we picked her up.' He reassured her. 'She did get a bit tearful when we had to leave the farm, but she perked up again when we were on the bus. She hasn't been asleep long; she nodded off just before we reached the bus-stop.' Sarah nodded politely in response to him.

'Have the two of you given any more thought to whether or not you would like to take the adoption process further?' She inquired, raising a brow at them as Anna ran her fingers through Adelaide's hair.

Anna and John shared a knowing look as she readjusted the little girl on her hip before focusing their attention upon Sarah once more. 'We have.' Anna admitted, her heart racing with all the excitement.

'We want to take things further.' John revealed. 'We want to adopt Adelaide.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope that you all enjoyed that! I know that this chapter was shorter than the previous one, but I didn't want to write too much because I didn't want to force it. If I forced it then I would have rushed it, knowing me, and so this is what I managed to come up with! If you did enjoy it please drop me a review to let me know, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know that this chapter has taken so long to go up and I apologise for that, but I hope you're all happy that it's here now! I worked quite hard on this and I think it's quite cute, so I hope you all enjoy it. Happy reading!**

* * *

Anna was unable to hold back the loving giggle that escaped her when she was stood with John at the adoption centre the following month and she watched as Sarah came walking down the long corridor with Adelaide, the beautiful three-year-old - who was now her daughter by law - tugging on the dark-haired woman's hand in order to make her walk faster as there was a soft smile etched into her features. 'She's been like this since she woke up.' The social worker smiled.

Adelaide slipped her small hand out of Sarah's larger one once the two of them had reached the foyer, her soft red curls bouncing behind her as she hurried over to where Anna was crouching. She all but slung her arms around her mother's neck once she had run into her arms, nuzzling against her shoulder as Anna buried several tender kiss into her hair. 'Hello, my darling.' Anna hummed into her ear before returning to her natural height and balancing Adelaide on her hip.

The three-year-old turned her head in her father's direction after settling in her mother's arms, her deep green eyes sparkling when he ran the back of his gloved hand down her cheek before feathering a kiss against her temple. 'She wouldn't move from the window all morning; she was sat there for over an hour waiting for the two of you to arrive.' Sarah laughed as she was stood in front of Anna and John. 'She really does adore the two of you.' Anna offered her a light smile.

Even though it had been a month since she and John had signed the papers that meant that the two of them were Adelaide's parents in the eyes of the law, she still couldn't quite believe it. She couldn't believe that the beautiful little girl on her hip was hers to love and protect for the rest of her life and that once she and her husband left the adoption centre with her she would never have to be returned. She was their child now and it was the most incredible feeling in the world.

'You will drop us a line to let us know how she gets on, won't you?' Anna was brought out of her thoughts by the social worker's voice after a few minutes. 'Everyone here is so very fond of her.'

'Of course we will.' She gave her a kind nod as she ran the fingers on her free hand through her daughter's curls, John's hand finding the small of her back through her coat when she snugged Adelaide closer. 'We'll bring her back to visit sometimes too, if that's something you would like.'

She saw the way that Sarah's eyes lit up. 'That would be wonderful.' The social worker beamed. 'I should probably let the three of you get off; the next bus to Downton arrives in a few minutes.'

'Would you like to say goodbye to her before we leave?' John asked as he brushed the pad of his thumb against the small of Anna's back through her coat, noticing the slight sadness that lived in the dark-haired woman's eyes. 'It's only right; you've done so much for Addie over the years.'

Sarah offered him a somewhat tearful smile as she nodded before Anna gave Adelaide to her, a quiet sniffle leaving her as the three-year-old wrapped her arms around her neck. 'Sarah sad?' Adelaide asked as she cocked her head to one side, bringing one of her hands to her right cheek.

'No, my lovely.' Sarah reassured her before kissing her brow and running the palm of her hand along the length of her back through her red dress. 'I'm not sad at all; I'm just so happy that you have a Mummy and Daddy that are going to love you and take such good care of you.' Anna felt a warm smile spread across her lips as she watched Sarah and Adelaide together, John pulling her further into him before he kissed her hairline and tightened his hold around her slim waist.

'I need you to promise me that you'll be a good girl for them, alright darling?' There was a small smile on her lips as she raised her brow at Adelaide, the toddler nodding in response as she lay her head down on her shoulder and tightened her hold around her neck. Sarah glanced over at the clock on the wall then before noticing that there was just over two minutes before the next bus to Downton would arrive. 'The three of you should get going.' She smiled at Anna and John.

Anna then accepted Adelaide back before balancing her on her hip once again and revelling in the angelic smile that her little girl blessed her with. 'Thank you for everything you've done for us.' The young blonde said as she held Adelaide close and gazed over at Sarah. 'We really are so grateful to you for all of the help and advice that you've given to us since we had the interview.'

'It was my pleasure.' Sarah reassured her. 'The two of you deserve to be parents.'

Anna and John exchanged a smile with Sarah before they said their goodbyes and John led his wife out of the adoption centre with a hand on the small of her back. As the two of them walked to the bus stop he felt Anna rest her head on his shoulder, nothing but pure love and happiness in her eyes when she gazed up at him. 'We're parents, John.' She shook her head as she beamed at him, her voice coated with tears. 'I can't believe it.' He kissed her on the forehead with a sigh.

'Believe, my darling.' He whispered after drawing back from her skin and running the back of his palm down her porcelain cheek and then Adelaide's in a slow and soothing caress. 'Believe.'

* * *

It was later that afternoon when Anna was sat in silence as she was curled up on the settee in the sitting room of the cottage, a permanent smile etched into her features as she held Adelaide in the protective cradle of her arms and stroked her thumb against the smooth freckled skin of her arm as she sucked on her breast. She had tried to put her little girl down for a nap a short time earlier, but when Adelaide had done nothing but sit crying in her cot she had remembered how Sarah had told her that it was comfort-nursing that usually managed to help send her off.

She just couldn't understand why it had been the thought of Adelaide comfort-nursing that had put so many other women off of adopting her. As she held her daughter close while she sucked on her breast and her eyes were half-lidded as she was close to slumber, she felt the passionate love that she possessed for her grow so much stronger. She knew that the chances of Adelaide ever sharing such an intimate moment with her birth mother were slim, and it broke her heart to think about how much pain her little girl had been put through before being found by Sarah.

She felt her heart swell when she glanced down at Adelaide once more and noticed that she had drifted off to sleep in her arms, her small hand still resting on the swell of her breast while she sucked on her nipple subconsciously. With one hand cradling the back of her head in its palm, she brought her little girl away from her breast before easing her pacifier into her mouth when she began to whimper. 'There we go…' She whispered whilst pulling her sleeve back up her arm.

Adelaide grasped the thin material of her dress in the palm of her hand when she rose from the settee with her in her arms a few minutes later, Anna gazing down at her with deep love in her eyes as she began to carry her out of the sitting room and up the staircase toward her nursery. Once the two of them had entered the bedroom, Anna walked over to the wooden cot in the far corner before beginning to lower her daughter down into it. 'Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl.' She smiled, covering Adelaide with a blanket before stroking her freckled face with her fingers.

She stood in silence for several long minutes as she watched her daughter sleep without a care in the world, Adelaide's chest rising and falling perfectly as her small hand rested at the side of her head and her thick dark eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks. A surge of warmth coursed through her when she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist from behind, her eyes falling shut when a long kiss was pressed to the back of her head. 'Hello.' John smiled against her hair.

'Hello.' She whispered as she leaned back into his warmth before taking his hands in hers and drawing his arms further around her middle, slipping her fingers through the gaps in his own as she sighed in satisfaction. 'Isn't she just the most precious thing you ever saw?' She inquired.

'Almost.' He allowed his lips to graze her ear as he spoke into it.

She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. 'Charmer.'

He hooked his finger beneath her chin then before turning her head in his direction and taking her lower lip into his mouth, one of her hands reaching back to settle upon the side of his neck as their kiss was slow and deep and passionate all at once. She whimpered when he pulled back from her after a time, her lips red and swollen from his delicious kisses as she gazed up into his eyes. 'We have some time to kill while she naps,' He smirked, 'Why don't we make the most of it?'

She slipped her hand into his then before going up onto her tiptoes to brush her lips against his cheek in a soft kiss. 'Lead the way, Mr. Bates.' She whispered into his ear, drawing his surname out in the way that she knew he adored before he led her out of their daughter's bedroom and into their own before closing the door securely while stooping to catch her in another deep kiss.

* * *

'I thought it was Addie who was supposed to be having the bath; not you.' John turned his head in the direction of his wife at the sound of her voice later that evening, a quiet chuckle escaping him as he was knelt on the sitting room floor beside the metal bath that Adelaide was sitting in.

'She's quite the swimmer aren't you, sweetheart?' He smiled as he turned to their daughter and stroked her wet red hair with the palm of his hand, Adelaide using her legs to kick at the warm water and prove his point as she clapped her hands and her green eyes sparkled as she giggled.

Anna felt the love that she possessed for both her husband and their little girl deepen when she lowered herself down onto the settee and placed her hand on John's shoulder through his shirt, massaging it slowly for a few seconds before he took it in his own and pressed a kiss to the back of it. 'I love how much you love her.' She admitted as the two of them watched Adelaide play in the bathtub, John looking up at her as he offered her a tender smile. 'You're such a good father.'

'And you are the perfect mother.' He told her as he squeezed her hand. 'I love you so much.'

'I love you too.' She was unable to resist the urge to lean down and kiss him on the lips.

'Me too, Daddy, me too!' The two of them chuckled together when Adelaide placed her hands on the edge of the bathtub before rising up onto her knees and puckering her lips, John taking her face in his hands before he planted a soft kiss on her lips. She then reached out for her mother, Anna shaking her head with a loving smile before she left the settee and knelt down beside her husband. She and Adelaide then shared a simple kiss, her little girl cupping her cheeks warmly.

When their kiss ended she tested the temperature of the bath water with her hand. 'Would you mind heading into the kitchen and getting Addie's cloth and nightgown off of the table for me? I forgot to bring them in.' John nodded in response before kissing her temple and getting up from the floor, Anna turning her attention to their daughter. 'Now then, sweetheart, let's get you out of that water before you catch your death.' She told her as she opened up the fluffy bath towel.

She then helped her daughter to stand up in the bath before wrapping her in the towel, her lips seeking out the smooth skin of her forehead as she rose from the floor. There was a tired smile on Adelaide's lips when she lay her head down on her shoulder, Anna whispering soft words of love to her as she carried her over to the soft rug by the roaring fire and knelt down once more before laying her down on it. 'All that playing with Daddy has tired you out hasn't it, precious?'

It was a few moments later when John reentered the sitting room with Adelaide's cloth and the nightgown that Anna had spent the last few weeks making for her, his wife giving him a smile of gratitude when he handed the articles of clothing to her and traced her jaw with the tips of his fingers before sitting down in his chair. Anna then started to get Adelaide dressed for bed, their little girl watching as she put on her cloth before pulling her nightgown on over her head.

'I'll take her up and see if I can get her off.' She said to her husband once she had brought their daughter into her arms and Adelaide was playing with the buttons on the front of her dress. 'It shouldn't take too long; she's exhausted.' John nodded before she leaned down to kiss his brow, his heart fit to burst with love for her as he watched her carry Adelaide out of the sitting room.

* * *

The sensation of her husband running the tips of his fingers up and down the length of her arm was so incredibly soothing when she was sat in his secure embrace on their bed later that night and she had Adelaide cradled in her arms while she comfort-nursed her once again, her stormy blue eyes filled with fatigue as her back was pressed against John's chest and he held her tight.

The two of them had only been in bed for a short time when Adelaide's cries had come through the wall, but her cries hadn't been ones of hunger or loneliness. They had been cries of complete terror and had turned into full-on screams by the time Anna had reached her bedroom. It had taken several minutes for Adelaide to wake from her nightmare; had been several long minutes of torture for Anna as she had held her in her arms and had said her name over and over again.

When she had been holding her in her arms in the aftermath of her nightmare - swaying back and forth with her in a soothing manner as she had run her hand up and down her back - she had been fighting back tears as she had known without a doubt that Adelaide's nightmare had been about what her parents had put her through. She was too little to remember exactly what her birth parents did to her, but that didn't mean that it stopped her from having night terrors.

Sarah had once told she and John about how Adelaide would wake up screaming in the middle of the night on occasion; her screams sickeningly similar to ones that would come from a child in pain. That was what Adelaide's cries had sounded like just minutes ago; like she had been in pain, and it broke Anna's heart to know that even though her little girl was safe and loved with she and John, her past still haunted her. Adelaide was so young; she didn't deserve a scrap of it.

Once Anna had taken their little girl into the bedroom that she and John shared and had sat on the bed with her to begin comfort-nursing, Adelaide had begun to settle down and the tears had stopped. John had been able to sense that their daughter's nightmare had had an effect on his wife, however, and so he had started to stroke her arm and kiss her on the head to comfort her.

As Adelaide continued to nurse and gaze up at her mother through her gentle green eyes, Anna ran the back of her index finger down her cheek before holding her a little tighter and giving a tearful sigh. 'She's alright now, darling.' John whispered into his wife's ear before feathering a soft kiss against her cheek. 'She can sense that you're upset, that's all that's troubling her now.'

'Hearing her scream like that made me feel sick.' She admitted, her voice quiet while she played with Adelaide's perfect little fingers. 'It made me think about how terrified she must have been before Sarah found her; it made me think about how much she had to suffer before Sarah took her away from those monsters.' She felt the tension escape her body when her husband let out soft shushes into her ear, a gentle sigh escaping her as she settled back into his warm embrace.

John pressed his lips to the side of her head in a lingering kiss. 'I hate the thought of her having to go through so much pain just as much as you do, my love, but what we have to do is leave the past in the past. All of the pain that she went through is in the past now and now she is safe and warm and so loved by the two of us. All that she is going to know from this moment onwards is love, Anna, she is never going to be hurt like that again.' His wife turned her head towards him.

'You always know how to make me feel better.' She sniffled with a smile as she gazed up at him.

'I love you, Anna Bates.' He told her, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair back beneath her ear.

'I love you too, John Bates.' She reassured him before their lips met in a languid kiss. 'So much.'

She then settled down in his embrace once more, cradling their sweet little girl a little closer to her before lowering her head to nuzzle a warm kiss onto the centre of her forehead. 'My brave girl.' She whispered against her skin before drawing back and taking her hand in her own once more. As she pressed her lips to the back of her palm a number of times and gazed into her eyes as John held her close, she was unable to prevent the contented sigh from falling from her lips.

Things weren't perfect yet.

She knew that Adelaide was going to have more nightmares and that things would be difficult; she had known that from the moment she had scrawled her signature on those adoption forms.

She would never complain about her lot though.

Because for the first time in her life she felt truly complete.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that and I hope that you will all come back to read Chapter 8 when it's up! Reviews are appreciated! X**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I'm back with another chapter! I hope you're all still enjoying this fic and please review at the end to let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

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There was a soft smile of pure adoration fixed on Anna's lips as she lay in a comfortable silence beside her husband and their beautiful little girl early the next morning, her stormy blue eyes half-lidded as she took in the sight of the scene before her. John had agreed to allow Adelaide to sleep between them the previous evening since she had fallen asleep while nursing, but the two of them must have woken or moved at some point in the night because he was now sleeping on his back with Adelaide fast asleep on his chest as she had her head buried underneath his chin.

His large hand was resting on the small of her back through the floral fabric of her nightgown to - Anna supposed - prevent her from rolling off of his chest and hurting herself as she slept. A quiet sigh of contentment escaped Anna's lips when she reached out with one hand and stroked a single red curl back behind her baby's ear, her heart swelling with the unconditional love she possessed for her when she ran the back of her palm down her freckled cheek and saw the little smile that appeared on her rosy lips. 'Mummy loves you so much, Addie.' She whispered quietly.

She drew the quilt further over herself in order to keep out the morning chill a short time later before shuffling closer to her husband and daughter, a surge of warmth coursing through her when John stirred for a moment and wrapped his arm around her slight waist in order to draw her close. He turned his head towards her after she had rested her head on his shoulder before pressing his lips to the centre of her forehead in a long kiss, his strong hand landing on her hip. 'Warm enough?' He murmured against her skin, his eyes still closed as he breathed in her scent.

'I am.' She reassured him after tilting her head back on his shoulder and pressing her lips to his own in a slow kiss. The two of them began to settle down beneath the quilt again once they had parted, John dropping a tender kiss into Adelaide's curls and holding her a little tighter. He was asleep again within minutes, soft snores coming from him as his thick dark eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks and Anna watched him with sheer love sparkling in her eyes. 'Sleep well, my love.' She caressed his perfect cheek with the back of her palm. 'Goodness knows you deserve it.'

It was a few moments later when she too began to feel the pull of slumber once again and so she tangled her leg with John's underneath the quilt before nuzzling her way into his neck, a warm smile spreading across her features as she ran the palm of her hand over her daughter's curls before allowing her eyes to close. She then lay in a comfortable silence for a time, allowing the quiet and slow breathing of the two incredible people next to her to lull her into a deep slumber.

* * *

It was a few hours later when John was sitting on one of the dining chairs in the kitchen while his wife was stood at the stove as she continued to cook breakfast for the two of them, Adelaide perched on his good knee as she chewed on the ear of her beloved teddy-bear and her head was cushioned on his chest. 'I think we should take her up to Downton at some point; let some of the others meet her.' He admitted while he bounced their little girl on his knee. 'What do you think?'

Anna sighed in response as she turned off the stove before removing the saucepan of beans and beginning to put them on the breakfast plates. 'I think we should wait for a few weeks first.' She told him before walking over to the sink and filling the now empty saucepan with cold water. 'A month at least. It's not that I don't want everyone at Downton to meet her, because I do, it's just that I really don't feel like the servants quarters is a good environment for her right now, John.'

'How do you mean?' He raised his brow at her as she began to carry the breakfast plates over to the dining table, Adelaide smiling up at her when she placed his breakfast down in front of him.

'I know that we don't know every detail of what her home-life was like before Sarah found her,' She said as she lowered herself down into the chair opposite him at the table, 'But the fact that she used to burst into tears whenever there was a loud noise at the adoption centre leads me to the conclusion that her home-life was anything but quiet and that both of her parents had bad tempers.' John nodded in agreement as he snugged his precious little girl closer. 'The servants quarters are always so loud because everyone is always busy, and I just feel that if we take her there too soon then she's going to be overwhelmed and scared.' She sighed as she looked at him.

'I see what you mean, my darling.' He told her before putting a forkful of beans into his mouth.

'I think - for the time being - we should just focus on bonding with her and helping her to settle in. I know she trusts us and I know that she's happy here, but I can tell that she still feels a little unsure.' She looked into Adelaide's beautiful green eyes before feeling the passionate love that she held for her strengthen when the three-year-old blessed her with a perfect smile. 'I couldn't love her more.' She admitted with a slow shake of her head. 'Not even if I had given birth to her.'

It was a few moments later when Adelaide wriggled in John's hold - a sign that she wanted him to put her down - before he pushed back his chair and eased her down onto the tiled floor, Anna giggling as she watched her waddle around the table towards her. 'I sit with Mummy.' Adelaide said when she patted her mother's knee after reaching her side, Anna pushing her chair back a little before she rested her hands on her daughter's waist and lifted her into her lap. She buried a kiss into her hair then before wrapping an arm around her middle and taking a sip of her tea.

'I'm so proud of you.' John sighed as he leaned back in his chair and gazed over at his wife.

'For what?' She inquired with a tender smile.

'For how strong you've stayed through every single problem we've faced since I asked you to be my wife.' He told her. 'It's been one thing after another for us for the last nine years, but - even though you could have done and I never would have blamed you for it - you never gave up and you always managed to see the brighter side of everything.' A faint blush rose in her cheeks. 'I adore you and you make me prouder of you with every day that passes; I hope you realise that.'

'You mean the world to me.' She whimpered.

'And you mean just as much to me, sweetheart.' He reassured her.

The two of them returned to eating their breakfast then, Anna casting her warm gaze down to their little girl when she tilted her head back on her chest after a few minutes. 'Kiss, Mummy.' A soft smile lit up Anna's features as she watched Adelaide pucker her lips, her heart fluttering in her chest at the way that she said her new title. Adelaide had called her "Mummy" thousands of times since she and John had signed the forms that made her theirs by law, yet her heart never failed to flutter whenever she uttered the word. It was the most beautiful sound in all the word.

She pressed her lips softly against her daughter's then before leaning her forehead against her own and allowing the tips of their noses to graze. John watched in silence as the precious scene before him unfolded, a loving sigh escaping him as he knew that those two girls were his whole world and that he would never need anything other than the two of them in order to be blessed.

* * *

There was a somewhat troubled look on his face when he was sat on the edge of the bed that he shared with his wife that afternoon, his gaze fixed upon Anna as she was sound asleep in front of him and he continued to stroke her long blonde tresses of hair as they were splayed out over her pillowcase. She had been fine and well when she and Adelaide had been playing on the rug in the sitting room together after lunch, but when he had ventured upstairs to check if she was alright when she hadn't returned after putting their little girl down for a nap, he had found her sitting on the edge of their bathtub with her face as white as a sheet. She had looked so unwell.

She had told him about how she had thrown up just moments after exiting Adelaide's room and he had told her to go straight to bed while he went downstairs to get her a glass of water. When he had entered their bedroom she had been flat out on top of their covers, her face still white as her arm had been hanging over the edge of the bed. It had seemed to him that sleep had claimed her as soon as her head had hit the pillow. As he sat beside her now and tucked her long blonde hair back behind her ear, he tried his best to think of what could be wrong with her but nothing came to mind. She hadn't given him any indication that she had felt sick over the last few days.

He ran the back of his palm down the smoothness of her cheek as he kept his gaze fixed on her, relieved to see that some of her colour was beginning to come back. He had always hated seeing her ill - even when the two of them had just been friends and she had been sick with a cold - but it was ten times harder to know that she was ill and not know what to do to help her now that he was her husband. 'Mmm…' He heard the faint hum that escaped his beloved when she began to stir beneath his caresses a short time later, a surge of deep love for her coursing through his veins when her eyes opened and she looked up at him before blessing him with a delicate smile.

'Hello, sleepyhead.' He whispered before leaning down to press his lips to her temple in a tender kiss. 'How're you feeling?' Anna released a light sigh as she turned carefully over onto her back.

'Better than I was earlier, but I still don't feel 100%.' She admitted as she could feel John's hand running up and down the curve of her side through the thin fabric of her dress. 'My head hurts.'

'Would you like me to go downstairs and get you some aspirin to see if it helps to take it off?' He raised his brow at her before she took his hand in her own and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

'Would you?' She asked.

'I'll be right back.' He reassured her before leaning down once again to press a chaste kiss onto her lips, Anna sighing as she watched him rise from the edge of their bed before he took hold of his cane and began to make his way across the room towards the door. She felt tears beginning to burn in the back of her eyes once he had closed the door behind him after stepping out onto the landing, her hand coming to rest upon her stomach through her dress as she sniffled softly.

It had been almost a week since she had recieved a telegram from doctor Clarkson that said she was once again pregnant but this was the first time that she had experienced morning sickness; it had been almost a week since she had felt that feeling of dread in her belly as she knew that in just a couple of weeks she would lose another one of her beautiful babies, and once again she felt as though she was unable to speak to her husband about it. Why should she mention her pregnancy to him if nothing was ever going to come of it? Why should she let him get his hopes up even though she knew that she was going to miscarry once again?

Despite how much she longed to do so, she just couldn't tell him.

She couldn't bear to see the tears in his eyes when she lost another one of their children.

No. She wouldn't tell him.

She wouldn't be the one to break his heart...

* * *

 **Author's Note: Please don't hate me...I just thought that this fic wouldn't be an Anna and Bates fic if there weren't some problems along the way! I feel as though this chapter ended a bit abruptly if I'm honest; I don't know if you feel the same way, but that's just my opinion! Nevetheless I hope you enjoyed this chapter - to some extent - and please review! See you all next time! x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I am so, so sorry about the long wait between the last chapter and this one, but I've had the worst case of writer's block! I'm still not 100% satisfied with the way that this chapter turned out, but I needed to get something up for you all so I hope you all enjoy it! Happy reading :-)**

* * *

'You head up and start getting changed, darling. I'll change Adelaide's cloth and put her down for her nap.' John said to his wife after closing the front door once the two of them had gotten home from church a few days later, Anna offering him a slight smile as she nodded before stretching up to brush a kiss against his cheek. She then swept a hand through their daughter's curls as she was sat in her pushchair before pressing a kiss onto her forehead and beginning to make her way up the staircase.

John couldn't help but sigh when he heard their bedroom door close after a few seconds. It was clear to him that there was something playing on his wife's mind - she hadn't been her usual self for almost a week now - but whenever he tried to get her to open up to him she would tell him that everything was fine before changing the subject. There weren't a lot of things that he didn't like about Anna, but her tendency to push him away whenever something was troubling her was definitely one of them.

He knew that her reason for doing so was because she hated the thought of her issues hurting him, but what she didn't realise was that having to watch her carry her burdens alone hurt him far more than anything she could ever tell him. It was the sound of his little girl yawning that brought him out of his thoughts, a loving smile forming on his lips when he gazed down at her and watched her rub at her eye with her hand. 'Is someone getting sleepy?' He crooned as he lifted her out of her pushchair.

Adelaide rested her head on his shoulder once he had balanced her on his hip, the tiredness that she was feeling evident in her green eyes as she gazed up at him. 'I tired, Daddy.' She whispered as he ran the back of his palm down her cheek in a soothing caress, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation.

'I know you are, darling.' He kissed her temple. 'Shall we go and get your cloth changed and put one of your nightgowns on so that we can get you into bed?' His heart swelled as Adelaide nodded against his shoulder without opening her eyes, the love that he held for her deepening as he ran his hand up and down the length of her back through her dress after starting to ascend the staircase with her.

It didn't take long for him to get Adelaide out of her dress and into one of her nightgowns, the fact that she was tired making it easier for him to change her cloth since she wasn't kicking her legs, and soon enough he was laying her down in her cot and brushing her hair out of her face. 'Comfy?' He whispered after covering her with her blanket and giving her teddy bear to her, Adelaide nodding up at him as she held the bear close. 'Daddy's just next door if you need me, alright?' He stroked her face.

'Alright.' She echoed.

'Sleep well, angel.' He told her. 'I love you.'

'Love Daddy.' She reassured him before snuggling further beneath her blanket and settling down.

Once John was certain that she was drifting off to sleep and that she was content he left the room, leaving the bedroom door open slightly so that he and Anna would be able to hear her if she cried or called for one of them. He then walked down the landing towards the bedroom that he shared with his wife, his heart sinking when he walked inside and saw her standing in the window in her dressing gown. Her arms were folded across her chest and her forehead was leaning against the windowpane as she was deep in thought, John knowing that she was troubled by the way she was chewing her lip.

Unable to bear seeing her so burdened for a moment longer, he closed the bedroom door behind him before walking over to her and placing a hand on the small of her back. 'You and I need to have a bit of a talk.' He admitted to her after she had turned her head in his direction and looked up into his eyes.

'There's nothing to talk about.' She shook her head before stepping past him and walking over to their bed, a sigh escaping her as she lowered herself down onto the edge of it and clasped her hands in her lap. 'I'm not getting enough sleep, that's all.' She watched him as he began to walk over to their bed.

She didn't meet his gaze when he sat down next to her, but a surge of warmth coursed through her when he began to stroke her back and she leaned into him on instinct. 'I know that there's more to it than that.' He whispered into her hair. 'I could hear you crying in the bathroom when I was reading in bed last night and you haven't been yourself for days, my darling. You've been distracted, you've not been eating properly and you've been keeping me at arm's length.' Anna felt tears sting in her eyes.

'I'm sorry.' She whimpered.

'You don't have to apologise to me.' He told her before tenderly kissing the side of her head. 'But you do have to tell me about what it is that's hurting you so much. You should know by now that trying to keep things from me and trying to cope with everything alone only makes things ten times harder for you. I'm your husband, Anna, and as your husband it's my job to give you support when you need it.'

Anna turned her head towards him at his words before berating herself silently when a tear fell down her cheek. 'What is it, my love?' There was nothing but love and concern in his eyes when he swept the tear off of her skin, her heart hammering against her chest as she took one of his hands in her own.

'I'm pregnant.' She choked out. 'I received a telegram from Doctor Clarkson which confirmed it.'

John drew slow circles onto the back of her palm with his thumb. 'Why didn't you tell me?' He asked.

'Because I'm just going to end up losing it!' She could feel herself trembling as she fought to keep her tears from falling. 'I didn't feel as though there was much point in telling you because you're not going to get to feel it kick or move and you're never going to see a bump because I'm going to have another miscarriage before I get anywhere near that stage. I'm broken, John, I'm never going to be able to give you a child.' Her voice cracked as she spoke and that was when she gave in to her emotions, the tears that she had been holding back beginning to stream down her cheeks as loud sobs wracked her body.

She was somewhat aware of burying her face into her husband's neck and winding her arms around his middle after he had pulled her close, her chest heaving and her body trembling with each sob as she was powerless to stop the furious tears from streaming. She could feel John running a hand over her hair; could hear him shushing in her ear as she attempted to burrow further into the side of his neck, and even though it wasn't having much of an effect she was still so grateful to him for trying.

It felt like she had been sobbing for hours when she started to calm down at last, but she knew that in reality it had only been a couple of minutes. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks as she grasped the fabric of John's jacket in her hands and nuzzled his neck and she could still feel him stroking her hair and whispering words of love to her. It was a few seconds later when she drew back from him, a small smile forming on her lips when he gave her his handkerchief. 'Thank you.' She managed to get out.

'You are _not_ broken.' He told her as she wiped under her eyes with the handkerchief and he tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear. 'There are a lot of women who can't have babies, my love, but that doesn't mean that their broken. It just means that they're either suffering from a condition or that's how they were born.' Anna gave a silent nod while she wiped her cheeks with the handkerchief.

'I shouldn't be upset about this.' She told him. 'We have Adelaide, John, I'm just being greedy.'

'You have every right to be upset about this, Anna, and no-one would ever judge you for crying about it.' He shifted a little closer to her atop the quilt. 'I'm going to suggest something now and I want you to think hard about your answer before you give it, alright?' Anna nodded, a slight crease in her brow as she placed her hands in her lap. 'I suggest that you and I go to London for a weekend with Adelaide and while we're there we pay a visit to Harley Street so that you can be examined. If a doctor does an examination then he'll be able to find out if you're infertile or just suffering from a condition, Anna.'

He was able to see the uncertainty in her eyes. 'If it turns out that you are suffering from a condition then there could be something that can be done to stop you from losing this little one.' He placed his hand on her abdomen through her dressing gown, brushing his thumb against the fabric. 'I know that it will be expensive, but I don't mind paying for it if it means that you and I will know for certain.'

'What if I am infertile, though?' She whimpered. 'It would have been such a waste of money.'

'But if you don't have the examination, we'll never know.' He stroked her hair. 'It's up to you though, darling, it's your body and I would never force you into doing something that you don't want to do.'

She gazed down at her lap in silence for a time as she thought about his suggestion, her hand finding his on her stomach when she looked into his eyes again. 'I want to know for certain.' She said quietly. 'If there's something that can be done which means that I can have children and you and I can give Adelaide a little brother or sister then I want to do it.' John cupped her cheek beneath the curtain of her hair before leaning forward and giving her a slow kiss. 'What will happen if I _am_ infertile, though?'

'Nothing.' He kissed her forehead. 'I won't love you any less and I won't stop being proud of you just because you're unable to have children. Even if it turns out that we can't have children of our own, we'll still have Addie and she's no less ours than a child that you carry inside of you would be, darling.'

'You're right.' She replied. 'When were you thinking of going up to London?'

'In a fortnight, maybe? I think that Addie still needs to settle in a bit before we do any travelling.' The two of them shared a smile before he traced the sharpness of her jaw with his fingers. 'I love you; you know that, don't you?' Anna laced her arms around his neck before pressing her lips against his own.

'I do.' She leaned her forehead against his, grazing his nose with hers. 'And I love you just as much.'

Truer words had never been spoken.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Anna was sat on the settee in the sitting room while she held Adelaide in the cradle of her arms, a blissful smile on her lips as she stroked her curls and watched in silence as her little girl slept with her thumb in her mouth. It had taken her quite some time to get Adelaide off to sleep once she had been fed; the three-year-old had just wanted to talk and run her hands through her hair, but once she had been too exhausted to keep her eyes open and had started to suck on her thumb she had been asleep within minutes. As she drew the blanket that was around her daughter a little further around her frame, Anna felt the love that she possessed for her grow a little deeper.

Even though Adelaide wasn't her biological daughter - even though she hadn't been the one who had carried her for nine months or pushed her into the world - she still meant as much to her as she would have done should she have been born out of the passionate love that she and John possessed for each other. She knew that when she started attending school there were going to be students that teased her about being adopted; that she and John were going to have to hold her while she cried because of it, but she was determined to never let her little girl believe that she loved her less than she would a child of her own. In her and John's eyes she was their daughter and that was all there was to it.

It was a short time later when her husband came walking into the sitting room, her lips curling up into a smile as she watched him walk over to where she was sitting with their little girl. 'I see she's given in at last.' He chuckled after lowering himself down into the space beside her on the settee and winding his arm around her shoulders, Anna giggling as she leaned against him and he stroked Adelaide's hair.

'She has, thank goodness.' She whispered. 'I thought she was never going to go down.'

He pressed his lips to the side of her head before settling back against the back of the settee with a sigh. 'I telephoned Harley Street.' He said after a few minutes, Anna turning her head in his direction as there was a somewhat nervous expression on her face. 'I didn't want you to have to wait longer than necessary and so I asked for the earliest appointment available. Your examination is going to be on the nineteenth and it's going to be done by a doctor Ryder.' A slight crease formed in Anna's brow.

 _She swore she had heard that name before._

'I'm nervous.' She admitted as she readjusted her hold on Adelaide.

'I know you are, darling, but you're going to be fine.' He reassured her. 'I doubt it will take too long.'

Anna nodded before snuggling further into him, butterflies flitting around within her stomach when she felt him rest his hand over where their unborn child resided. 'There could be a bump here in the next couple of months.' John whispered to her, his lips grazing her ear as he spoke. 'We might be able to feel our child move inside you while we're cuddling.' Anna felt her heart race at the thought of that.

'I don't know about you, but I think Addie would make the perfect big sister.' She told him. 'She's such a gentle and loving little girl and there's no doubt in my mind that she would want to help the two of us take care of the baby.' She smiled as she felt John's fingertips dance up and down the length of her arm. 'I'm not going to give up hope, you know.' She said when she rested her head on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes. 'Until we know for certain that there's nothing that can be done and that I'm going to lose this baby, I'm going to keep thinking about what our lives are going to be like when it's born.' John brought a hand up to feather a caress against her cheek, his eyes filled with love for her.

'So am I.' He said before the two of them shared a simple kiss. 'You're so strong.'

'Only because I have you to fall back on when I need to.' She replied. 'You mean everything to me.'

'And you mean everything to me.' He told her. 'And so much more.'

* * *

'Another one?' Adelaide asked her father when she was laying in his arms on the bed that he shared with her mother that evening and she offered him another storybook, John chuckling as he shook his head before taking the book out of her hands and settling it down on the nightstand with the others.

'Not tonight, love.' He told her as he stroked her hair after turning back to her, feeling his heart sink a little when she pouted. 'Before Mummy got in the bath she told me that I could read you one bedtime story and then it was time for you to go to sleep. Daddy's going to get into trouble when she finds out that I've read you three stories and you're still not asleep!' He revelled in the giggle that she released when he tickled her waist. 'I love you so much, Addie.' He took her hand in his before kissing the back of it, his little girl blessing him with a soft smile before she let out a yawn and snuggled into his side.

'Love my Daddy.' She told him.

John pressed his lips to the centre of her forehead when her head came to rest on his shoulder and she started to run her fingers through the thick patch of hair that layered his upper chest, the arm that was around her waist tightening its hold of her before he drew her further into his warmth as her eyes started to drift closed. She was somewhere between slumber and consciousness when the door to the bedroom squeaked on its hinges as Anna opened it, her eyes springing open before she sat up beside her father and clapped her hands at the sight of her mother. 'Mummy.' She crawled down the large bed, Anna unable to stop herself from giggling when she lifted her up onto her hip.

'Why aren't you asleep, Misses?' She smiled after kissing her temple.

'Daddy naughty.' Her little girl told her through a giggle.

Anna cast her gaze over to her husband, a somewhat amused look on her face. 'What did you do?'

'I might have read her more than one story.' John chuckled, leaning back against the headboard.

'John Bates!' Anna teased as she walked around to her side of the bed with Adelaide balanced on her hip. 'You had one job.' She placed their little girl down on the bed, Adelaide crawling back over to her father before he wrapped her in his arms again. Feeling her heart swell at the sight before her as she climbed into bed, Anna smiled at the two people who meant the most to her as she lay herself down. 'It is such a good job that I love the two of you, you know.' She smirked, covering herself with the quilt.

'Isn't it just?' John placed his free hand on her hip beneath the covers. 'You look done in, sweetheart.'

'I am.' She admitted, brushing her hair out of her face.

'Close your eyes and get some rest, Anna.' He told her.

'Don't you need help getting her off to sleep?' She asked as she stroked Adelaide's back.

'I don't think it'll take her long.' He admitted as he could feel Adelaide's breathing starting to even out. 'I can manage.' His wife gave him a gentle nod before leaning over their daughter to kiss him, the two of them parting with a quiet smack before she turned out the lamp on her nightstand and lay down.

'Goodnight, John.' She whispered into the darkness, slipping her hand beneath her pillow.

'Goodnight, my darling.' He replied. 'Pleasant dreams.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading and please review to let me know what you thought! I promise that I'll try my hardest to get another chapter up quickly! x**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I'm back with another chapter! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you've enjoyed the previous ones, and as always please let me know what you thought at the end! x**

* * *

Anna released a deep sigh as she traced the rim of her teacup with her thumb when she was sat on the settee on her first night in London a little over a fortnight later, the anxiousness that she was feeling clear in her eyes as she chewed on her lower lip. She and John would be going to the surgery on Harley Street in the morning so that doctor Ryder could examine her and reveal whether or not she was in fact infertile, and she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so scared. _Thinking_ she was infertile was one thing but _knowing_ it was another.

She knew that - even if it turned out that she was incapable of having children - she would still have Adelaide and that served as such a comfort to her, but even so she still longed to know how it felt to have the child that she and John created kick from inside of her. As she leaned back against one of the cushions on the settee she placed her hand on her flat belly through her nightgown and brushed her thumb against where her unborn baby lay. She knew that there was a chance that she would miscarry, but she was trying not to think about it.

It was a short time later when she felt a presence in the room with her and looked up from her teacup, a small smile forming on her lips as her gaze fell on her husband and she saw him stood in the doorway as he leaned against the doorjamb. 'Can't sleep?' He asked as he entered the room, Anna shaking her head in response while she watched him approach her.

He lowered himself down into the empty space beside her on the settee once he had reached her, allowing his arm to wrap around her waist before he pulled her close and she rested her head on his shoulder on instinct. 'I'm so scared about tomorrow.' She told him after a couple of silent moments had passed. 'If it turns out that I'm infertile then I'm never going to be able to give you a child and I'm going to end up losing this one.' She gave her belly a stroke. 'I'm just going to be sat around...waiting to miscarry.' John sighed at hearing her voice break.

'I know you're worried, darling.' He said against her hairline after placing a kiss on it when he turned his head in her direction. 'I am too, but like you said a couple of weeks ago: until you and I know for certain that you're infertile, we have to stay positive and keep thinking about what our lives are going to be like when our baby is born.' Anna shifted in his hold to meet his gaze. 'I don't know what the doctor is going to find out tomorrow,' He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, 'but what I do know is that sitting here all night thinking about the worst outcome isn't going to help you feel better.' Anna nodded, leaning against his side.

He left a kiss on her brow while stroking her back. 'Are you going to come back to bed?'

'Yes.' She replied. 'Just let me go and get rid of this.'

He watched her leave the settee with her cup of tea before she walked out of the room and he got up to do the same, switching off the light as he did so. She met him at the foot of the stairs after tipping her tea down the sink and rinsing the cup, a tired smile on her lips as she slipped her hand into his. 'Come on, you.' He squeezed her hand. 'You look exhausted.'

He began to ascend the stairs again then, Anna slipping her fingers through the gaps in his own as he guided her up them and down the dimly lit landing which led to their bedroom.

* * *

'It's no mystery, Mrs. Bates,' Doctor Ryder cleared his throat as he clasped his hands atop his desk when he was sat opposite the two of them in his surgery following her examination the next day, 'You suffer from cervical incompetence, meaning that the neck of your womb is weak and as the foetus reaches three months or so it becomes too heavy to be supported.'

'So it's not unusual?' Anna asked as she held Adelaide in her lap.

The doctor shook his head. 'It's bad luck, but not unusual.'

'And you can treat it?' John spoke up, the hope evident in his voice.

'Certainly.' Doctor Ryder smiled. 'The procedure is called cervical cerclage.'

'Go on.' Anna pressed gently.

The doctor turned back to her. 'I would insert a stitch, a large one, in the neck of the womb.'

'Is - is it painful?' She inquired.

'It's more uncomfortable than it is painful.' He admitted. 'It's quite quick, though.'

'But it works?' John raised his brow.

'I'm afraid I can't make a blanket promise.' Doctor Ryder said. 'It works in many cases.'

Anna ran her fingers through Adelaide's hair as she snuggled up to her. 'And when would you do it?' She asked him after ensuring that her daughter was comfortable in her embrace.

'At around twelve weeks.' He told her. 'I'd normally come to your house and perform it there; then you'll be able to focus on resting without having to worry about the nuisance of travel.'

'I wouldn't go to hospital?' The relief was evident in her voice.

'Oh, no, it's not worth it.' He shook his head.

Anna turned her head in her husband's direction before offering him a smile of joy, her heart swelling with love for him when he took her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles. He turned back to doctor Ryder a few moments later, however, with a slight crease between his brows. 'She's almost ten weeks pregnant now, so would it be possible for us to set a date for her procedure today?' He inquired, doctor Ryder humming in response as he nodded at him.

The doctor turned on his chair for a moment before reaching for his calendar, Anna and John waiting in silence for a time while they waited for him to check it. 'I would be able to do the procedure on the second of October if that works for you both.' He said, looking up at them.

'I don't think we have anything planned for that week, do we?' Anna asked her husband.

John shook his head. 'No, we don't, and I can ask His Lordship for a few days off so that I can look after Adelaide for you while you're resting.' The two of them shared a smile before turning back to fact the doctor. 'The second of October will be fine.' John reassured him.

'Splendid.' Doctor Ryder replied before making a note of it. 'Now, I think we're done here. I will telephone a few days in advance so that you both have some time to prepare, but in the meantime I'd like you to rest as much as possible, Mrs. Bates, for an hour at least each day.'

Anna nodded with a smile as she and John stood and she balanced Adelaide on her hip, her daughter lacing her arms around her neck when she lay her head on her shoulder. 'Thank you for seeing me, doctor.' She said while she ran her hand along the length of Adelaide's back.

'It's no problem, Mrs. Bates. I wish you all the best.' He smiled.

Anna and John nodded at him before John opened the door to his surgery and permitted his wife to leave the room first, a smile of pure happiness gracing Anna's features as she turned to face him once he had closed the door behind them. 'I can't believe it.' Tears sparkled in her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief, causing John to chuckle as he took a step closer to her and rested his hand on her waist through her coat before kissing her on the hairline.

'Believe, my darling.' He told her. 'Believe.'

* * *

Anna couldn't remove the smile from her lips when she was laying in bed beside her little girl that night and she had an arm around Adelaide's middle, her gaze fixed on her belly as she watched her daughter run the palm of her hand across it through the covers. When John had told her that he thought they should tell Adelaide about the baby once they had gotten back to the cottage after her appointment she had been hesitant, explaining to him that she thought that their little girl was a bit too young to understand. Oh, how wrong she had been.

Ever since the two of them had explained to her - in the easiest way possible - that Anna had a baby growing in her belly she had hardly left her mother's side. When Anna had been sat on the settee with a cup of tea after dinner, Adelaide had sat down next to her and ran her hand over the flatness of her stomach. She understood - despite the fact that she was only three years old - that she needed to be more careful around her mother now and that made both Anna and John prouder than they could put into words. She really was a wonder.

The sound of the bedroom door creaking open prompted her to come out of her thoughts, her lips curving up into a smile as she looked up from her stomach and watched John enter the room. 'Baby, Daddy, baby.' She focused her attention on Adelaide when she felt her pat her on the stomach, a surge of love for her coursing through her veins as she stroked her hair.

'Where is the baby, darling?' John asked as he approached the bed before lowering himself down onto the edge of it and sharing a smile with his wife, revelling in her natural beauty.

'Mummy's tummy.' Adelaide told him when she looked up into his eyes.

'That's right.' He reached out to cup her cheek in his palm and her beautiful green eyes fell closed as he smoothed his thumb across her skin. 'My clever girl.' He tucked one of her curls back behind her ear before her eyes opened again and he was able to see just how worn out she was. 'I think it's time for you to go to sleep, darling, you're so tired.' Right on cue, as though she were proving his point, his little girl yawned and cause he and Anna to chuckle.

He watched his little girl lie down beside her mother a few moments later and smiled when Anna covered her with the quilt and pulled her close. She was born to be a mother, that was something that he was certain of. Once Adelaide had settled in her mother's arms and he was positive that she was comfortable he leaned down to kiss his wife's lips, sighing against her as she rested her free hand on his cheek. 'I love you.' She whispered when they parted.

'I love you too, sweetheart.' He reassured her before resting his hand on her stomach through the quilt. 'You and both of our beautiful children.' The two of them exchanged a smile then before she watched him stand, her gaze following him as he walked around to his own side of the bed before he drew back the quilt and climbed onto the mattress beside their daughter.

It didn't take long for him to get comfortable and once he had rested his head on his pillow Anna turned out the lamp that was sat atop her nightstand, a quiet yawn escaping her when she snuggled further beneath the quilt and wrapped both her arms around Adelaide's frame. 'We should take Addie to the beach while we're here.' She told her husband as she held their little girl close and could feel her warm breath beating against her neck while she held her. 'It's not too cold at the moment and I'm sure she'd like it.' John blessed her with a smile.

'We can talk about that in the morning.' His hand found her hip beneath the sheets. 'Right now, I want you to close your eyes and get some rest. You're going to be so exhausted in the morning if you don't.' He heard Anna hum in response before she let out a contented sigh. 'I love you; you know that, don't you?' He asked her, brushing his thumb against her hip bone.

'Of course I do.' She whispered. 'I love you too, my darling.'

He felt her cover his hand with hers on her hip then before the two of them began to settle down together, the sound of Adelaide's steady breathing sending the two of them off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it and please review. I'll see you all next time! :-)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: This chapter is literally just an explosion of Bates family fluff, I'm not going to lie. I hope you all enjoy! :-)**

* * *

It was the feeling of her hair being stroked that roused Anna from her slumber the next morning, a gentle smile forming on her lips when she opened her eyes and her gaze met with that of her daughter's. 'Hi, Mummy.' Adelaide whispered as she looked at her from where her head rested on her shoulder, her eyes glistening as she continued to stroke her hair with the palm of her hand.

'Hello, my darling,' Anna giggled before pressing her lips against her hairline, 'did you sleep well?

Adelaide nodded in response which caused one of her curls to fall into her face, Anna feeling her heart swell with love for her as she brought the hand that wasn't wrapped around her waist up to her face in order to tuck it back behind her ear. 'Up?' Adelaide asked after a few minutes before Anna turned her head on her pillow to look at the small clock that was sitting on her nightstand.

After noticing that it had just turned 7:45 she turned her attention back to her daughter with a nod. 'Yes, I think it's time for Mummy to get up and start making breakfast.' She smiled lovingly.

'I help?' Adelaide raised her brow at her with hope in her eyes, prompting her to kiss her forehead.

'Of course you can help me, sweetheart.' She swept a hand through her curls before drawing back the quilt and climbing out of bed, her gaze falling on her sleeping husband once her daughter was stood beside her and had taken her hand. 'How about we make Daddy's special breakfast today? He might let us go to the beach and see the sea if we do.' She watched Adelaide's eyes light up.

'See sea, Mummy, see sea!' The three-year-old exclaimed quietly so not to disturb her father.

Anna couldn't help but shake her head in slight disbelief that the incredible little girl beside her was hers to love and take care of for the rest of her life. She meant the whole world and more to her. 'Come on then.' She drew circles into the back of her palm with her thumb. 'We had better get started if we're going to have everything ready for Daddy by the time he gets up, hadn't we?'

She just had to giggle when Adelaide all but dragged her out of the bedroom by the hand.

* * *

It was around half-an-hour later when Anna was stood at the stove while she stirred the beans in a saucepan and Adelaide was sat at the table behind her while she drew a picture, her lips curling up into a knowing smile when she felt a pair of arms snake around her middle from behind. 'What are you after?'John's lips brushed her ear while he spoke which caused her to shiver in his arms.

'What do you mean?' She smirked as she leaned back against his chest.

'You know _exactly_ what I mean.' He chuckled before pressing a kiss into her neck. 'You only ever make breakfasts like this when you want something from me or when you want me to agree to something. Now which is it?' He rested his chin on her shoulder, revelling in the giggle she gave.

'Ask Addie.' She told him.

He looked over his shoulder at their beautiful little girl who was still colouring in with her crayons, Adelaide's eyes twinkling as she flashed him a smile when she glanced up from her sheet of paper and met his gaze. Unwinding his arms from around his wife's waist he approached the table with a smile of his own on his lips before lowering himself down into the chair to the right of Adelaide. 'Addie,' He reached out to brush a curl back behind her ear, 'do you know what Mummy's after?'

'Go beach!' She told him as she set down the crayon in her hand. 'See sea, Daddy, see sea!'

He shook his head in response with a smirk, feeling his heart swell when Anna looked at him over her shoulder. 'So you went to all of this trouble because you want to go to the beach? You could have just asked, you know.' He told his wife, Anna laughing as she turned to turn off the stove.

'Addie and I thought that making your "special breakfast" might help convince you.' She admitted.

He watched her spoon the beans onto two plates with pure love in his eyes before feeling a tug on the sleeve of his nightshirt. 'Go beach, Daddy?' Adelaide asked when he turned his attention back to her and met her gaze. 'Please?' The longing she felt was unmistakable in her gentle green eyes.

'I don't see why not.' He replied after placing his hands on her waist and drawing her into his lap, eliciting a series of infectious giggles from her as he tickled her sides. 'We go home tomorrow, so we might as well make the most of our last day.' A surge of deep love for his daughter coursed through him when she cuddled against his chest, a smile on his lips as he kissed her crown softly.

It wasn't long before Anna was placing his breakfast down in front of him on the table, her lips curling up into a smile when he caught hold of her wrist before she could walk off to get her own breakfast. 'Come here.' He told her, Anna brushing her hair out of her face before she rested her hand on his shoulder and bent down to give him a kiss. 'I love you.' He smiled once they'd parted.

'I love you too.' She squeezed his shoulder before heading over to the kitchen counter to fetch her breakfast. Once she had returned to the table she sat in the chair beside John and Adelaide and sighed as she began to eat. 'Have you given any more thought to what you're going to be getting Adelaide for her birthday?' She asked after a time, Adelaide looking up at the sound of her name.

'I have, but I'm not going to say what it is when there are little ears present.' He chuckled.

Anna nodded before running the back of her hand down their daughter's cheek.

'Love Mummy.' Adelaide said as she snuggled against John's chest.

'I love you too, princess.' Anna reassured her. 'So much.'

She and John then shared a loving glance before continuing to eat their breakfast, the thought of spending a day on the beach with their little girl filling them both with great joy.

* * *

Anna released a sigh of happiness as she leaned against her husband when the two of them were sat on the sand at the beach that afternoon and he had his arm wrapped around her waist, her head cushioned on his shoulder while they watched Adelaide play a safe distance away from them. Since it was rather windy the beach was practically deserted, save for a couple who were walking along the shore and some children playing with a ball, and it was clear that Adelaide was enjoying herself immensely. 'I know I don't say it often enough, but I feel _so_ blessed to have you for my wife.' Anna heard John sigh into her ear, a smile on her lips as she turned her head towards him.

'You don't have to say it in order for me to know.' She told him while sliding her hand inside his jacket and curling her fingers into his shirt, his lips finding her forehead as she snuggled further into his warmth. 'But, for the record, I feel just as blessed to have you for my husband.' She let her eyes fall closed as she lay her head on his chest but opened them moments later when she heard Adelaide call her name as she hurried over. 'Hello, you.' She laughed. 'Are you having fun?'

Adelaide nodded, out of breath from running, before she lowered herself into her lap and allowed her to bury a kiss in her curls. 'I'm cold, Mummy.' She said after tilting her head back on her chest, Anna sighing in response as she tightened her hold of her and stroked her cheek warmly.

'I had a feeling this coat would be too thin for her; I should have trusted my instinct.' She shook her head after turning her head in her husband's direction, John running his hand up and down her back before he started to remove his jacket. 'If you do that then _you're_ going to be freezing.' She pointed out, feeling her love for him deepen as he shook his head and placed it over Adelaide.

'As long as she's warm I don't care.' He replied, sweeping a hand through their daughter's hair as she smiled up at him from beneath his jacket. 'Is that better, sweetheart?' He asked her gently.

Adelaide hummed her response. 'Thank you, Daddy.'

'It's quite alright.' He reassured her before slipping his arm around Anna's waist again and pulling her close. 'I don't need a jacket when I have you to keep me warm.' He teased, his wife rolling her eyes at him before her eyes fluttered closed as she pressed her lips against his cheek with a sigh. 'I think we've got a tired little girl on our hands.' He whispered once Anna had settled in his arms again, a smile forming on her lips when she looked at Adelaide and noticed her eyes were closed.

'I'm not surprised she's exhausted.' She laughed, stroking her back through his jacket. 'She's done nothing but run around for the last hour. I think I'll put her to bed a little earlier tonight. I'll feed her before we have our dinner and then leave her to get some sleep so she's fully rested for the journey home in the morning.' John nodded before he pressed a slow kiss to the side of her head.

'I think you should have a bit of an earlier night too.' He told her. 'You hardly slept last night.'

Anna sighed. 'It's the morning sickness. It seems to be getting worse rather than better.'

'When we get back to Downton we'll go and see doctor Clarkson and see if there's anything he can prescribe or suggest to ease it.' He ran a hand up and down her side through her coat, Anna laying her head down on her shoulder as she held Adelaide closer to her. 'I can't wait, you know.'

'Neither can I.' She beamed when he looked into her eyes. 'Neither can I.'

* * *

'She was out like a light the moment her head hit the pillow, the little darling.' Anna told John as she entered the sitting room of the cottage after putting Adelaide to bed that night, her husband smiling at her from where he was sat on the settee. 'I've never seen such an exhausted little girl.'

'It's been a long day. For all three of us.' He replied. 'Come here.'

She began to walk over to him when he extended his hand to her, a tired sigh leaving her as she slipped her own into it and lowered herself down into his lap. When his arms slipped around her middle she lay her head down on his chest before closing her eyes. 'This is nice.' She murmured.

'It is.' He concurred. 'We don't seem to cuddle as much as we used to anymore.'

'That's probably because we're so worn out by the end of the day that we go to bed near enough at the same time as Addie.' She giggled, the tiredness evident in her voice as she grasped his shirt in her hand. ''All jokes aside, though, I have to admit that I do miss having moments like this.'

John smiled as he buried a number of kisses in her hair. 'You wouldn't change anything though?'

'Not for all the money in the world.' She shook her head. 'I finally have all I've ever wanted.'

Even though she found that she was far more tired at the end of each day than she had been in the months before she and John had brought Adelaide home from the adoption centre she couldn't complain. She loved having their little girl snuggle against her in the night and bury her cold feet under her legs to warm them up; she loved having her run up to her with a picture she had drawn just for her, pride and happiness etched into her features. She just loved being Adelaide's mother in general. Over the last few weeks she had made mistakes, she knew that, but she knew Adelaide still loved her and that John was still proud of her and that made her happier than she could say.

She tilted her head back on his chest once a few silent seconds had passed and lifted her hand to his face, the two of them sharing a smile as she drew the back of it down his cheek. 'I love you. I hope you know that, John.' She told him while she gazed into his eyes and played with his collar.

'Of course I know.' He whispered before tucking her hair back behind her ear.

'I just feel as though I've...neglected...you a little since we brought Addie home and I want you to know that it wasn't intentional. It's just that I -' His lips pressed against her own prevented her from finishing her sentence, a whimper leaving her as she cupped the side of his neck and traced his jawline with her thumb. 'Blimey…' She breathed once their kiss had come to its conclusion.

The feeling of her husband running the tip of his nose along the bridge of hers caused a smile to grace her features before she opened her eyes and wound her arms around her neck as she met his gaze. 'You haven't neglected me.' He told her while running his hands up and down her sides. 'I know how much Addie means to you and I know how much trying to help her get past what happened to her as a baby means to you, my love, and I respect that.' Anna gave a gentle nod.

'I think I'm emotional because I'm tired.' She sighed.

'You _are_ tired.' He ran his hand over her hair. 'This trip has taken a lot out of you, my darling.'

She teased the hairs at the nape of his neck with her fingers. 'It was _so_ worth it though.'

'This time next year we're going to have two children.' He told her, drawing her closer to him.

'I can't believe it, I really can't.' She admitted. 'I've wanted this for longer than I can remember.'

John ran a hand along the small of her back. 'We both have.' He kissed her forehead.

'You mean so much to me, you know.' She cupped the sides of his neck in her hands.

'And you mean just as much to me, my love, I can assure you of that.' He placed a soft kiss on her lips before realising just how tired she really was. 'I think it's time for you to head to bed.'

'We haven't even had dinner yet.' She reminded him.

He gave her a pointed look. 'You are _not_ slaving away in that kitchen for the next hour. We can make some sandwiches and take them up to bed with us.' Anna knew that nothing she said was going to make him change his mind and so she nodded and left a final kiss to his mouth before slipping out of his lap. 'You do know that I expect you to rest when we get home, don't you?'

'I figured that, yes.' She giggled as they walked to the kitchen together. 'I love you, John Bates.'

He turned to her once they had entered the kitchen before resting his hand on her waist, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her brow. 'I love you too, Anna Bates.' He sighed. 'So, _so_ much.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that! I imagine that the next chapter will be about Anna having the stitch and John and Adelaide looking after her, but we'll see what enters my mind! Please review and I'll see you all next time :-)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your patience! I had severe writer's block with this chapter and I'm sick too, so I'm surprised I managed to get this finished in (almost) one sitting! I hope you all enjoy and happy reading :-)**

* * *

A soft sigh fell from Anna's lips as she lay in silence in the bed that she shared with her husband a little over a week later, her hand resting next to her head on her pillow while she waited for her husband to return from Downton with Adelaide. When John had come upstairs once doctor Ryder had left and had told her that he had taken their little girl to Downton so that she didn't have to sit around while waiting for doctor Ryder to finish his procedure, she'd not been happy.

She had reminded him that Adelaide had come from a household filled with raised voices rather than hushed tones and told him that all of the loud noises in the servant's quarters might scare her and bring all the bad memories back. He had stroked her hair to settle her, however, before reassuring her that Mrs Hughes had said that she would take care of Adelaide and telephone if she felt the need. The phone hadn't rung once in the whole time Adelaide had been at Downton.

Even though she was still feeling sore from the procedure and quite tired from the sedative that doctor Ryder had given her beforehand, she couldn't wait for Adelaide to get home so that she could hold her in her arms and kiss her. John had told her that she should rest for a while before Adelaide came to see her, but she hadn't agreed. For some reason, she always felt calmer when she had her darling little girl beside her. She meant more to her than anything else in the world.

Well, along with the little life growing within her.

Reaching down beneath the quilt to rest her hand on her belly through her nightgown, her lips curled up into a smile as she knew that her child was safe. Her heart raced as she realised that her belly would soon bloom into a bump; that she and John and Adelaide would soon be able to feel the baby moving and kicking inside of her. The thought was enough to move her to tears.

It wasn't long before she heard the front door open and close, a giggle escaping her as she could hear the excitement in Adelaide's voice while she spoke to her father at the bottom of the stairs. She gathered she was telling him about her time up at Downton. When she heard them begin to ascend the stairs she pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing as the soreness that she felt increased somewhat, before she leaned back against the headboard and let out a quiet sigh.

She heard John tell Adelaide to be careful around her before the bedroom door opened, her eyes lighting up as her gaze landed on her daughter. Once John had led her into the room, Adelaide let go of his hand before she hurried over to the bed and stood beside her mother. 'Hello, angel.' Anna whispered while reaching out with one hand to run a hand through her curls. 'Have you been having fun at Downton with Mrs Hughes?' She asked, Adelaide nodding gleefully in reply.

'I made bikits with Daisy, Mummy!' The three-year-old beamed.

'Did you?' Anna raised her brow. 'Did you save one for me?'

Adelaide nodded again before reaching into the pocket on the front of her dress and pulling out a biscuit that had been wrapped in a napkin. 'She gave mine to me when I picked her up.' John chuckled as he approached the bed after closing the door, Anna blessing him with a smile as she accepted her biscuit from their daughter. 'They're quite good if I'm honest.' Anna ran the back of her hand down Adelaide's face, her heart swelling as she watched her eyes close at her touch.

'I see Mummy and Daddy have a little baker on our hands!' She giggled. 'Would you like to come and sit up here with me, darling?' She asked after setting her biscuit down on the bedside table.

'Can I?' Adelaide replied.

'Of course.' Anna smiled.

'Daddy help me?' The three-year-old looked up at her father after he sat down on the edge of the bed, John chuckling in response before he rested his hands on her waist and lifted her. He left a lingering kiss to the side of her head before placing her down beside Anna on the bed, her curls falling into her face as she crawled up the quilt and into her mother's arms. 'Mummy hurting?'

Anna wrapped her arms around her frame before snugging her close. 'A little, so I have to stay in bed for a couple of days. I promise you that it's not for long though, sweet pea.' Adelaide gave her a smile before laying her head on her chest, both Anna and John's eyes filling with love for her as they watched her place her hand over where the baby lay inside of her mother's stomach.

'She's going to be an incredible big sister.' John smiled at his wife.

'She is.' Anna agreed. 'Just like you're going to be an incredible father.'

He took her free hand in his own before lifting it to his lips and pressing a kiss onto the back of it. 'And _you_ are going to be an incredible mother.' He told her. 'I love you so much, you know.'

'I know you do.' She swept her thumb across his rough knuckles. 'And I love you just as much.'

* * *

He ran his fingers through her hair in a soothing fashion when he was laying in bed beside her after putting Adelaide down for a nap later that day, his other arm laced around her waist while she slept in his arms with her head on his shoulder. It was clear to him that Anna was now in a considerable amount of pain since the anaesthetic that doctor Ryder had given her before doing the procedure had started to wear off and seeing her in such discomfort made his heart ache.

Turning his head in her direction he gazed at her for a moment and drank in her natural beauty before pressing his lips to her hairline, his thumb stroking her hip bone through her nightgown as he snugged her closer to him. To say that he was proud of her - that he felt honoured to have the title of her husband - was an understatement. She was one of the strongest women he'd ever met and he saw their unborn baby as her _reward_ for staying so strong. She was his inspiration.

'Daddy…' It was a short time later when he heard the tearful whimper of his title from his little girl's bedroom, his brow creasing in concern as he looked at the wall that separated her room from his. She fell silent again for a few minutes after that and he thought she had fallen back to sleep, but when she whimpered his title once again he knew that there was something wrong.

He eased Anna - as gently as possible - out of his arms before running a hand over her hair when her head had landed on her pillow, his lips finding the side of her head before he drew back the covers and climbed out of bed. He then took hold of his cane before limping over to the bedroom door and stepping out onto the landing, his heart sinking when he entered Adelaide's bedroom and saw that she was standing up in her cot as she sucked her thumb and tears were in her eyes.

He knew in an instant what was wrong with her.

She had had another one of her nightmares.

It was rare that she screamed when her nightmares occurred now - unless she had one of her more severe ones - and that was what he and Anna hated the most. It was as though she was getting used to having her nightmares and was just accepting that they were a part of her life. Something that a child - especially a child that was as young as her - should never have to do.

He saw the fright and confusion in her eyes as he approached her cot and he felt his heart break when a tear danced over the curve of her cheek. She took her thumb out of her mouth when he reached the cot before lifting her arms, a sigh leaving him as he picked her up with one arm and balanced her on his hip. Once she had laced her arms around his neck and had buried her face into the side of it he carried her over to the rocking chair on the opposite side of the room before lowering himself down into it and tightening his hold of her. 'I've got you, darling, I promise.'

He felt her tears fall onto his skin as she cried into his neck, her tussled curls brushing his jaw as she clung to him. It took a few minutes for her tears to stop and when he brought her to sit in his lap she was hyperventilating softly, the tears still on her cheeks before he brought a hand up to wipe them off of her cheeks. 'It was just a dream, Addie.' He soothed as she looked up at him. 'The bad people are gone now and they aren't coming back.' Her bottom lip quivered somewhat.

'Mummy…' She pointed at the wall as unshod tears sparkled in her eyes. 'Want Mummy…'

He knew that he should probably tell her that Anna was sleeping and that she needed rest, but he couldn't bear to see her burst into tears again knowing that it was his fault. Besides, he knew that his wife wouldn't mind having their daughter lay with her. 'Shall we go and have a cuddle with Mummy?' He ran a hand up and down her back before twisting one of the curls at the nape of her neck around his finger, his love for her deepening when she nodded with a small smile. 'You have to give Daddy a kiss then.' He teased, the giggle that she released warming his heart.

She tilted her head back before puckering her lips, her curls bouncing as she did so before John lowered his head to give her a simple kiss. 'Rememer, sweetheart,' He said as he rose from the rocking chair a few seconds later and balanced her on his hip again, 'you need to be careful and quiet around Mummy because she's feeling very sleepy and very sore at the moment, alright?'

'Okay, Daddy.' She nodded.

'That's my girl.' He kissed her temple while carrying her out of her room, his lips curling up into a smile when he re-entered his own bedroom and saw that Anna was still fast asleep where he had left her. Adelaide rested her head on his shoulder as he walked over to the bed with her and once he had pulled back the quilt she crawled over to her mother and settled down beside her.

He climbed back into bed once he was sure that Adelaide was comfortable, propping himself up on his elbow so that he could watch his girls together. He loved the way that Anna instinctively wrapped an arm around Adelaide's waist once she - in her sleep - realized that she was there, her lips finding the top of her head while she pressed her face into her throat with a satisfied sigh.

Anna's eyes flickered open a few seconds later, the sensation of Adelaide's eyelashes and breath beating against her skin rousing her from her slumber, and she gave her husband a soft smile. ' _Nightmare?'_ She mouthed while Adelaide snuggled further into her, John nodding in response.

Her gaze fell on Adelaide when she moved her head to her shoulder, her eyes holding pure love for her as she tucked a curl back beneath her ear. 'Bad people gone now, Mummy.' Adelaide told her, the relief evident in her eyes and voice before she leaned forward to kiss her on the temple.

'You're right, angel, they are.' She replied. 'And Mummy and Daddy are going to make sure that nothing bad ever happens to you again.' The smile that Adelaide gave her allowed her to forget about the discomfort she was experiencing for just a moment, a sigh of adoration escaping her.

She let her daughter hide her face in her throat once again then, her chin settling atop her head before she brought her hand up to stroke her curls. When she felt her own hair being stroked she lifted her gaze to her husband and was able to see the love and pride that he felt towards her living in his eyes. 'I don't know how I ever lived without you in my life, you know.' He told her.

'Soft beggar.' She tutted with a playful roll of her eyes, the two of them chuckling together.

'I mean it.' He traced her jaw with her fingers. 'I feel so blessed to have you for my wife, my love.'

'And I feel just as blessed to have you for my husband.' She reassured him.

He saw the tiredness that lived in her eyes after a few minutes and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. 'Go back to sleep.' He told her. 'The more rest you get the faster you're going to recover.' She nodded in response before he leaned over their daughter - who was now drifting off herself - and placed his lips on hers. 'I love you.' He whispered, his breath hitting her face.

'I love you too.' She smiled. 'So much.'

When he lay back down again she drew Adelaide further into her warmth and pulled the covers further over her small frame, the three-year-old grasping her nightgown in her hand while she settled. She allowed her eyes to fall closed then before she too settled down to sleep again, John's affectionate gaze fixed on the two of them as she began to drift back into her peaceful slumber.

* * *

'You know; I've been thinking…' Anna said when she was sat up in bed that evening.

'Thinking?' John raised his brow as he pulled up his pyjama bottoms. 'Thinking about what?'

She met his gaze before giving him a smile. 'About our dream.'

'You mean our dream of owning a hotel and having a house full of children?' He replied.

'That's the one.' She giggled.

'What about it, darling?' He raised his brow at her before drawing back the covers of their bed and climbing in beside her, his arm slipping around her shoulders on instinct before she leaned her head against his shoulder and started to thread her fingers through the hairs on his chest.

She sighed in contentment as he began to stroke her arm. 'I think - once I can get out of bed - we should start...I don't know...looking for a hotel? I don't suggest we go viewing hotels yet, but I think we should start looking at advertisements for them.' She tilted her head back to glance up at him. 'I've also been thinking that maybe...maybe I should hand in my notice.' She admitted.

'Where's this come from?' He asked, nothing but love in his eyes and voice.

'I don't like being away from Adelaide.' She said. 'I also don't want to be kept apart from her for several hours every day. I know she would enjoy herself in the nursery with the other children, but I...I don't want her to feel as though I've abandoned her. I just feel that if I handed my notice in then I would have more time to be a _mother_ to her. What do you think?' She stroked his face.

John turned his head to press a kiss to her palm. 'If it's what you want to do and if it'll make you happy then I think you should do it.' He smiled before reaching up with his free hand to brush her hair out of her face. 'You know that I'll support you no matter what you decide to do, Anna.'

'I know you will and I love you for it.' She pecked at his lips. 'I'm not making any firm decisions just yet. I want to talk with Mrs Hughes about it first and Lady Mary also, but I think it might be for the best. Especially since I'm going to have two little ones to worry about in a few months.' Her face broke out into a smile when John lowered his hand to her belly and stroked it lovingly.

'I can't wait until you have a bump.' He chuckled. 'You're going to look so beautiful.'

'I'm going to look like a _whale.'_ She laughed. 'Mum is the same height as me and when she was pregnant with my sister her bump was so large that she couldn't even get up from the settee without help from Dad and me. Alice was the tiniest thing I'd ever seen when she was born too!'

John pressed his lips to her brow. 'You're going to be a beautiful whale.'

'That's nice to know.' She smirked before laughter took over them both once again.

She covered his hand with hers on her stomach when their laughter had died down, her fingers slipping through the gaps in his as she leaned against him. 'It's actually happening.' She shook her head in slight disbelief. 'We're going to have a newborn to take care of in six months, John.'

'Adelaide is going to want to help with _everything.'_ He chuckled.

'I have no complaints.' She giggled. 'Two pairs of hands are better than one and three pairs of hands are better than two. That's what Mum used to say when I wanted to help her and Dad to take care of Alice.' John smiled into her hair. He loved to listen to her talk about her mother. 'The one thing I'm worried about is Adelaide thinking we love the baby more than her. We're going to be so much busier when the baby's here and I don't want her to start thinking that we don't have time for her anymore.' John stroked her knuckles with his thumb while she sighed.

'We'll speak to her closer to the time.' He reassured her. 'Everything's going to be alright.'

She turned her head in his direction with a smile. 'I know it is.'

The two of them shared another kiss before tightening their hold on the other's hand.

'I know it is...'

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that! I'm not quite sure where I'm going to finish this story...I might go up to Anna having the baby and then do an epilogue where Adelaide and the baby are older and Anna and John reflect on how much Adelaide has blossomed and changed over the years, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions would be appreciated so please - if you have any - feel free to let me know in your review! Thank you all for reading and I'll see you in the next installment :-) x**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Please enjoy! :-)**

* * *

There was a smile fixed on John's lips when he was stood in the doorway to the bedroom that he shared with his wife a few days later, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the door jamb and watched Adelaide stroke Anna's hair as she slept beside her. To say he was proud of his little girl was an understatement. She'd been so patient and gentle with Anna ever since she had had the stitch inserted and had done nothing but sit next to her and give her soft kisses.

Adelaide was such an affectionate and loving little girl and that was one of the things that upset him the most whenever he remembered that she had gone through hell before being taken to the adoption centre. Her parents hadn't deserved her; hadn't deserved to be blessed with a baby girl as beautiful and as charming as Adelaide. He was unable to understand why people as sick as the pair of them were able to have babies but people like he and Anna found it so damn hard.

Just as he felt his blood beginning to boil at the thought of his little girl's biological parents, the sound of Adelaide whispering his title prompted him to stop brooding. He put a smile back on his face when he started to approach the bed, Adelaide watching him as she continued stroking her mother's hair. 'Mummy's sleepy, Daddy.' The three-year-old told him once he had sat down on the bed, his heart swelling with love for his girls while he ran his hand down his wife's cheek.

'She is, isn't she, darling?' He nodded as he gazed down at Anna and revelled in her beauty.

'Daddy?' He looked up at Adelaide once again at the sound of her voice.

'Yes?' He raised his brow while brushing one of her curls out of her face.

'Do you love Mummy?' Adelaide asked, her fingers still sliding through her mother's fair hair.

'Yes, I do.' He told her. 'I love Mummy _very_ much.'

'Why?' She cocked her head to one side, her curls bouncing as she did so.

'Why don't you come and sit with me and I'll tell you?' He suggested, Adelaide nodding before she lowered her head to kiss her mother's forehead and shuffled over to her father so that he could ease her into his lap. Once he had laced his arms around her and she had snuggled up to his chest, she looked up into his eyes and smiled when he pressed a slow kiss onto her temple. 'So,' He ran the backs of his hand down her face, 'you want to know why Daddy loves Mummy?'

Again, Adelaide nodded.

'Alright.' He tightened his hold of her. 'There are a lot of reasons why I love Mummy, but one of them is because of how kind she is. When I first came to Downton she was my only friend and she was the only person who was nice to me for a while. She didn't laugh at me because I have a bad knee and whenever I was sad she came and sat with me until I felt better.' A smile formed on Adelaide's lips as she rested her head on his chest and allowed him to draw her closer to him.

'More, Daddy, more!' She giggled.

John couldn't help but chuckle at her eagerness.

He lowered his gaze to Anna when he heard her murmur in her sleep, his love for her growing deeper as he watched her slide her hand underneath her cheek and sigh when she settled down again. Once he was certain that she was comfortable he turned back to their daughter and ran his hand over her hair. 'Another reason why I love Mummy is because she's so beautiful. She has beautiful eyes and beautiful hair and I love everything about her.' Adelaide fell quiet for a time.

' _I_ beautiful, Daddy?' She asked him with hope in her eyes.

' _You_ are the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen.' He took one of her hands in his and left a kiss to the back of her palm, Adelaide beaming at his response as he ran his thumb across her knuckles. 'What do _you_ love about Mummy?' He asked after sliding his arm around her again.

Adelaide hummed in thought for a few seconds as she watched her mother sleep. 'Her cuddles and kisses.' She told him. 'She gives me lots and lots of them at bedtime.' John smiled lovingly.

'Mummy gives the best cuddles, doesn't she?' He replied.

'Yep!' She giggled. 'Love Mummy and Daddy.'

John was certain that his heart was about to burst with love for her when she nuzzled her cheek against his chest, his eyes falling closed when he buried several kisses into her curls. 'We love you too, my beautiful, _beautiful_ girl.' He whispered while stroking her waist through her dress. 'Now, why don't you go and have a play in your bedroom for a while so that Mummy can rest?'

'Okay.' She said. 'Kiss?'

She tilted back her head and John knew that he wouldn't be able to refuse her. Dipping his head, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before putting her down and watching as she left the bedroom. When he heard her close the door to her room behind her, he gazed down at his wife and a quiet chuckle escaped him. 'You heard all of that, didn't you?' He inquired, the two of them sharing a smile when Anna opened her eyes and looked up at him. 'You are a terrible actress, sweetheart.'

'I'm not planning on becoming a film star any time soon, so I don't care much.' She teased.

He shuffled closer to her on the bed before tucking a strand of her hair back behind her ear, her eyes falling closed at the contact. 'I meant everything I said to Addie, you know.' He told her. 'I mean, there are a lot more things that I love about you, but…' Anna sighed while reaching up to stroke his face. 'All I'm trying to say is that you're everything to me and I hope you know that.'

'I do know that, you silly beggar.' She reassured him. 'Now come here and kiss me.'

He rested his hands either side of her on the bed before leaning down to capture her lips with his in a long kiss, Anna's hand moving from his cheek to his hair so that she could tangle her fingers in the strands. When he felt her stroke his lower lip with her tongue he parted his lips and allowed her to deepen their kiss, one of his hands finding her waist as he sighed quietly.

Their kiss reached a natural conclusion sometime later and he leaned his forehead against hers, her breath beating against his face as she grazed the bridge of his nose with the tip of her own. 'Can I get up this afternoon?' She breathed. 'I'm so sick and tired of staring at these walls all day and I'm not in pain anymore so I've probably healed now.' John held her gaze as he drew back.

'I'll let you get up if you swear to me that you'll take things easy for the next few days. 'The last thing I want is anything happening to you or to that stitch, Anna.' She gave him a silent nod before he turned to look at the clock on the opposite wall. 'It's quarter-past eleven.' He told her. 'If you stay in bed until twelve then I'll let you get up, alright?' He smiled as he looked at her.

'Alright.' She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. 'Will you come and hold me, please?'

'Of course.' John pressed a kiss to her forehead before rising from the bed and walking around to his own side, Anna blessing him with a smile when he drew back the quilt and slipped into bed beside her. Once he was settled and she had rested her head on his chest he began to stroke her hair, her eyes falling closed as she took his spare hand in hers and played with his fingers.

'John, about the hotel…' She started.

'Yes, love?' He asked.

She moved her head to his shoulder in order to meet his gaze. 'I've been thinking about what I said - about wanting to start looking for hotels now - and I've decided that I want to wait for a few years. I'm still going to hand in my notice so that I can spend more time with Adelaide and with this little one when it's born,' She stroked her stomach beneath the covers, 'but I want to move away when the children are older so that they remember Downton when we find a hotel.'

'I think that's a good idea.' He admitted.

'I'm glad.' She replied with a smile. 'It's not that I want to delay working on our dream, it's just that if we moved away when the baby's born then it would never know what it's like to live at Downton and Adelaide would probably forget because she's so young. I think we should begin looking for a hotel when Adelaide is about six or seven because this little one would be about four then and would have grown up around everyone at Downton.' John left a kiss to her brow.

'We don't have to make any solid plans now.' He reminded her. 'For the next few months, all I want is for you to relax and allow yourself to enjoy being pregnant. When this little one is here we can start discussing our dream again, but we won't start looking for hotel advertisements until it's walking at least.' Anna cupped the side of his neck in her hand as she gazed up at him.

'I feel as though I'm dreaming.' She admitted. 'The last few years have been so difficult…'

John snugged her closer. 'That's all in the past now, darling, and I want you to leave it there.'

'I love you so much.' She sniffed. 'And I can't wait to have your baby.'

'I love you too.' He pecked at her lips. 'I love you too.'

* * *

It was later that afternoon when John returned home to the cottage after making the journey up to Downton to collect the evening post, a sigh escaping him as he removed his hat and overcoat and hung them up before heading to the sitting room. When he walked into the room, however, a crease formed between his brows as he saw Adelaide sitting on one of the armchairs with her little arms folded across her chest and tear-streaked cheeks. She had been fine when he had left!

He set the telegrams for him and Anna down on his armchair before approaching his little girl and running a hand over her curls. 'What's the matter, my darling?' He asked her, his voice soft.

'Mummy mad at me.' She sniffed as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

The crease in his brow deepened further. It had been over a month since Adelaide had come to live with them and not once had Anna raised her voice at their daughter or scolded her. 'Why is Mummy mad at you?' He raised his brow while easing himself down onto the arm of the chair.

'I said no.' She told him.

John sighed in response. 'I'll go and talk to Mummy, alright? I want you to stay here.' He said.

'Daddy mad too?' The worry was evident in her eyes.

'No, darling, Daddy's not mad at you.' He soothed. 'Just be a good girl and sit still. We don't want you getting in any more trouble, do we?' Adelaide shook her head in response before he placed a kiss on her hairline. He then rose from the arm of the chair before exiting the sitting room and entering the kitchen as he was able to hear Anna preparing their dinner. His wife glanced over her shoulder at him when she registered that he was there before turning back to face the stove.

'I didn't shout at her.' She told him.

'I never said you did.' He replied.

He heard the sigh of frustration that she released as she stirred the contents of the saucepan in front of her. 'What happened when I was at Downton? Adelaide was okay when I left.' He said.

'She decided to tip all of her toys out of her toybox and when I asked her to pick them up before she had her dinner she told me no. Four times.' She explained without turning to look at him.

'Is it really necessary for her to be in a time out for _that,_ though?' He asked.

Anna turned down the flame on the stove at his response before turning to face him. 'I know she had a bad start in life, John; I know that her parents probably scolded her for every little thing and I hate knowing that just as much as you do, but that doesn't mean that I won't discipline her if I feel it's necessary. I love her to pieces, but I'm not going to stand for her talking back to me.'

John could tell just by looking at her that she was putting on a brave face. He was able to see that putting their daughter in time-out and listening to her cry while she had made a start on their dinner had upset her and he hated that. With a sigh, he took a few steps before coming to a stop in front of her. 'It killed you to do that, didn't it?' He inquired while reaching to stroke her arm.

Anna fixed her gaze on his chest as she nodded while her eyes stung with tears. 'I've never made her cry before.' She whispered, the tears catching in her throat before she felt John rest a hand on her waist and pull her close. She slipped her arms around his middle before placing her head on his chest and feeling him kiss her crown, her eyes drifting closed as she released a soft sigh.

'You've done nothing wrong.' He told her while running his hand along her back. 'She didn't cry because she thought about her past, darling, she cried because she upset you and because you put her in time-out.' Anna nodded against his chest before unwinding one arm from around his waist to wipe away the tear that ran down her cheek. 'Why don't you go and talk to her? I know I'm not the best chef, but I'm quite sure I can stand and stir this for a few minutes while you do.'

She drew back from his chest and offered him a gentle smile before rising up onto her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. 'Thank you.' She said, John running a hand over her hair before she left his embrace and walked out of the kitchen in order to go and see to Adelaide. She came to a stop just outside the sitting room, however, and told herself that she had to be firm yet gentle with her daughter. When she entered the room, Adelaide looked at her with quite a sorry expression.

She said nothing as she ventured further into the room, but patted the space beside her on the settee once she had sat down. 'Come here.' She kept her voice soft so that her daughter knew she was no longer in trouble, Adelaide sucking on her bottom lip as she got off of the armchair and began to make her way over to where her mother was sat. Anna placed her hands on her waist then before lifting her onto the settee, her arm slipping around her middle as she sighed.

'Do you know why Mummy put you in time-out?' She asked.

Adelaide nodded while wiping her cheeks with her hands.

'Why did I do it?' Anna raised her brow.

'I said no.' Adelaide sniffed.

Anna nodded. 'You did. Four times. I know that picking up your toys isn't fun, sweet pea, but when I or Daddy tell you to do something you have to do it. We only tell you to do things so that no-one gets hurt. It wouldn't be very good if Daddy fell over your toys and hurt himself, would it? And it wouldn't be very good if I fell over your toys and hurt myself and the baby, would it?'

Adelaide shook her head. 'I'm sorry, Mummy.'

'I know you're sorry.' Anna replied before reaching out to sweep her hand through her curls. 'And you're not going to talk to Mummy _or_ Daddy like that again, are you?' The love that she had for her little girl deepened as she watched her shake her head again. 'That's my girl. Now, would you like a cuddle?' Adelaide responded by crawling into her lap with a sniff. 'No more tears now, darling.' She hushed when she heard her daughter beginning to cry into her chest.

She rocked back and forth with her in her arms for a time to comfort her, cradling her head to her chest while shushing her and pressing kisses to her crown. It wasn't long until Adelaide's cries ceased and she snuggled into her warmth, her fingers curling into the front of her blouse before she tilted her head back on her chest and looked at her. 'Mummy love me?' She asked.

'Of course, I still love you.' Anna snugged her closer and kissed her brow. 'I might have to scold you and put you in time-out when you misbehave, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore. You're my baby girl and no matter how much you misbehave, I will always love you.'

Adelaide smiled, satisfied with her answer before she puckered her lips and giggled when her mother pressed a kiss onto them. 'Storybook?' She asked when she snuggled into her again, Anna sighing as she ran her fingers through her curls and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

'I wish I could, but I need to finish making mine and Daddy's dinner.' She explained, her heart sinking when she saw the slight disappointment on Adelaide's face. 'How about, when it's time for you to go to bed, Mummy reads you your Winnie the Pooh book?' She just had to giggle at the joy in her little girl's eyes when she tilted her head back against her chest and met her gaze.

'Winnie!' The three-year-old exclaimed while clapping her hands.

Anna ran the back of her palm down her cheek. 'You have to be a good girl until then though, is that clear? If you're not then there'll be no storytime and you'll go straight to sleep.' She gave her daughter a final squeeze when she nodded in response, her eyes sparkling with love for her. 'Now, Mummy needs to go and finish dinner. Do you want me to ask Daddy to come and play?'

'Yes please.' Adelaide replied while her mother eased her out of her lap and onto the settee.

'I love you so much.' Anna told her as she took her hand in hers.

'Love Mummy too.' Adelaide reassured her.

Anna then left one last kiss to her daughter's cheek before standing from the settee and heading out of the sitting room. Yes, Adelaide had been disrespectful to her earlier on and yes she had been close to raising her voice at her, but she'd told herself that it was best to leave it in the past.

Besides, she had given her an apology (a sincere one at that) and she knew that no matter what happened in the future she would always forgive her for it. Because she meant the world to her.

* * *

Anna rocked back and forth in silence when she was sat in the rocking chair in her daughter's bedroom that evening, Adelaide fast asleep in the cradle of her arms as one of her hands rested on her chest and the other held her teddy-bear close to her. She had fallen asleep just minutes after Anna had started reading _Winnie the Pooh_ to her, proof of how tired she had been despite the fact that she had said several times that she was wide awake and wanted a bedtime story.

It was at times like this when Anna loved her little girl the most. Times when she could just hold her in her arms and watch her sleep, study her features and remind herself of how blessed she was to have the title of her mother. If someone had told her after her miscarriage a few months earlier that she and John would have a daughter and be planning for a baby before the year was out, she wouldn't have believed them for a moment. She would have thought they'd gone mad.

Even now, as she held Adelaide close and could feel her fingers twitching against her chest, she still felt as though she was living in a dream. She felt as though she was going to wake up any minute now and discover that the last month had been nothing but a perfect dream. She'd had many others just like it, so it wouldn't surprise her if she did. When she brought one arm out from beneath Adelaide, however, and rested it on her chest to feel her heart beating, she knew that this was nothing short of reality. Adelaide was real and hers and she loved knowing that.

'You've been in here so long I wondered if you had fallen asleep.' She glanced up from her little girl at the sound of her husband's voice, a giggle escaping her when she saw John standing in the doorway to the bedroom. 'I thought you said you would be back when I'd finished bathing.'

'I thought I would be,' She admitted as she settled back in the chair, 'but then I decided to watch Addie sleep for a few minutes and I guess I lost track of time.' She lowered her gaze to Adelaide again, hearing John's chuckle as he entered the room. 'Everything about her is so perfect, John.'

'Like another beautiful girl I know.' He whispered before kissing the top of her head once he had reached her side, his arm sliding around her shoulders so that he could stroke her arm. Despite the fact that he couldn't see her face, he knew that she was rolling her eyes in response. 'You are going to be exhausted tomorrow if you don't come to bed.' Anna sighed, knowing he was right.

'Just let me put her in her cot.' She told him when she tilted her head back to look at him. 'I'll be five minutes, I promise.' John gave her a smirk before leaning down to give her a languid kiss.

'I love you.' He told her once they had parted.

'I love you too.' She smiled. 'So much.'

He ran his hand over Adelaide's hair in a comforting fashion then before leaving the bedroom. A few minutes later, Anna rose from the rocking chair and cradled her daughter a little closer to her chest before beginning to walk over to her cot with her. She knew that Adelaide wouldn't be using her cot for much longer - John had bought her a "big girl" bed for her birthday next week - and knowing that Adelaide was growing up so quickly caused her to feel slightly melancholy.

She sometimes wished that Adelaide's parents had given her up for adoption on the day that she was born because it would have meant that neither of them could bring harm to her, but then she realised that if her parents had done that then she and John never would have known about her. She knew that most people went to adoption centres in search of a newborn, so it wouldn't have taken long for someone to choose her if she had entered the adoption centre as a newborn.

When she thought about it that way she felt all the more blessed to be her mother. Even though the baby that was growing inside of her was going to be hers and John's by blood, she knew for a fact that neither of them were going to love it more than her. Both of them would have the same amount of attention, the same amount of love and would be treated as equals. Of course, when she and John took them out together in the future, people would view one child as theirs and the other one not, but they wouldn't care about their opinions because they would be unimportant.

The only opinion that would matter would be their own and in their opinion, both Adelaide and their unborn child were their children.

The sensation of Adelaide burrowing further into her chest brought Anna out of her thoughts, her lips curling up into a smile as she tightened her hold of her and started to lower her down into her cot. She watched as Adelaide made herself comfortable and clutched her teddy-bear to her chest, her eyes shining with nothing but love for her as she covered her with her blanket.

'Night night, sweetheart.' She whispered while brushing her hair out of her face. 'Sleep well.'

She then turned to turn off the lamp on the set of drawers beside her cot, a yawn escaping her as she walked over to the bedroom door before stepping out of the room and leaving the door ajar just in case Adelaide woke during the night. As she walked to the bedroom that she shared with John, she stopped for a moment and rested her hand on her belly when she felt a slight flutter.

Something within her told her that it was her child's first kick and nothing else and it made her eyes brim with tears. She had waited so long to experience that feeling; to be able to carry her baby safely, and now that both of those things were happening she felt happier than she could say.

When she realised that she was still stood on the landing a short time later she knew that she needed to go and tell her husband the news and so, with a confident turn of the doorknob, she stepped inside the bedroom and flashed her husband a joyful smile.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and please review to let me know what you thought! I hope that you're all still enjoying this fic and if you have any ideas on how I could make it better then please let me know. Thanks :-) x**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: I think this might be my longest chapter to date! I'm quite proud of this one if I'm honest; it's just pure Bates family fluff. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

Anna sighed in contentment when she was settled in her husband's arms a few mornings later, sated from their lovemaking as her head rested on his chest and she could feel him drawing circles into the small of her back with his fingers whilst she listened to his racing heart calming down beneath her ear. Even though she adored it when Adelaide slept in the space between them, she had to admit that she had missed John waking her by kissing her neck and shoulder and humming words of love into her ear until she rolled over and captured his lips with hers.

She snuggled further into him to steal some of his warmth when she started to feel a bit chilly, bringing her hand to his chest so that she could run her fingers through the thick hairs that grew there. When she felt him press his lips to her head and whisper that he loved her into her hair she tangled her leg with his below the quilt and tilted her head back against his chest, trailing her foot along the length of his calve as she gazed up into his eyes and shared a smile with him. 'I've missed this.' She breathed whilst she twisted his chest hair around her fingers.

John brought his free hand to her face to stroke her cheek before tucking some soft strands of hair back behind her ear. 'So have I.' He replied, feeling his love for her grow stronger when she pushed herself up slightly to kiss his lips before settling down beside him again and laying her head down on his shoulder. She breathed in his natural scent after burying her nose into the dip between his neck and shoulder before leaving a kiss there, a giggle escaping her when the low and soft hum of satisfaction that her husband gave in response reached her ears.

Bringing the hand that was resting on his chest up to the other side of his neck, she cupped it in her palm before brushing an open-mouthed kiss against his neck. She lingered for just a moment before pulling back and leaving another kiss directly above it, a smile forming on her lips when she felt him start to caress her waist. 'John?' She sighed as she went on giving his neck little kisses, her husband murmuring in response as his eyes were shut and he focused on the feeling of her warm lips grazing his skin. 'I love you _so much;_ you know that, don't you?'

'Of course, I do,' He said before rolling them so that he was covering her body with his own, a chuckle escaping him as the sound of her surprised yelp echoed in his head while he grazed her nose with his, 'and I love you just as much.' They shared a smile whilst they looked into the other's eyes and she laced her arms around his neck, her fingers burying themselves into his hair when he lowered his head to press his mouth to hers. When their kiss began it was chaste and soft, but when he stroked her lower lip with his tongue it took on a much deeper nature.

Her fingers threaded through his hair as their tongues danced and his hands found her waist, the two of them becoming lost in one another's affections. He pulled his lips away from hers after a time and pressed them to her neck, Anna curling her fingers into his hair while turning her head to one side to give his mouth a larger canvas to explore. 'You are so perfect…' John hummed against her skin, making her smile before he kissed behind her ear and she shivered. He brought his lips back to hers after kissing down her sharp jaw, their kisses long and soft.

'Make love to me.' She breathed between kisses as she had one hand resting on his chest and the other on the back of his neck, John smiling against her as he began to caress her sides.

Before he was able to fulfil her request, however, the two of them parted from their kiss when the sound of Adelaide calling for Anna reached their ears. Anna huffed in disappointment, John smirking as he gave her a kiss on the forehead. 'You can't be annoyed with her when it's her birthday.' He reminded her, Anna rolling her eyes lovingly in response before laughing.

'Tonight?' She reached up to brush his hair away from his forehead.

'Tonight.' He nodded. 'I promise.'

The two of them shared one last kiss before he rolled off of her and laid his head back on his pillow, Anna running a hand through her dishevelled hair as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She then leaned down to retrieve her nightgown from the floor, John watching her from where he lay as she put it on over her head before turning to him again. 'You do know that the second I come back with her she won't stop diving on you until you let her go downstairs and open her presents, don't you?' She smiled with a look of amusement.

'I've been preparing myself for that.' He chuckled while tucking an arm beneath his head.

After leaning down to give him a soft kiss on the lips, Anna pushed herself up from their bed. 'I'll be back in a minute.' She told him before walking over to the door and stepping out of their room. Once she had closed the bedroom door she padded along to the other end of the landing before entering Adelaide's room and smiling when she saw her stood up in her cot. 'Good morning, Miss Bates.' She sang as she approached her daughter, Adelaide blessing her with the most gorgeous smile when she raised her little arms up after she had reached her.

She ran the palm of her hand over Adelaide's untameable curls once she had perched her on her hip, allowing her to wind her arms around her neck before she felt her heart swell when she leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. 'A little birdie told Mummy that today is someone's birthday.' She told her once their kiss had ended. 'Do you know who's birthday it is, Addie?'

'Mine!' Adelaide giggled. 'It's _my_ birthday, Mummy!'

'Is it?' Anna teased. 'Well, I think we should go and tell Daddy that, shouldn't we?'

Adelaide nodded in response, her curls falling into her face before Anna pressed a slow kiss to her forehead and carried her out of the room. It wasn't long before she was entering her own bedroom with her, John smiling at the two of them from where he was sat on the bed whilst he leaned against the headboard. 'Adelaide has something she wants to tell you.' She admitted.

'Do you, my darling?' He raised his brow once his wife had set their daughter down on the foot of the bed and she crawled towards him, her green eyes full of happiness. 'What's that then?'

'It's my birthday, Daddy, it's my birthday!' She said when she sat down beside him and allowed him to hold her close, infectious giggles escaping her when he peppered her face with kisses.

'It's your birthday? Are you sure?' He asked.

Adelaide hummed as she nodded.

'How old are you today, then?' He ran his fingers through her hair.

'Four!' She replied as she held up three fingers, her parents falling all the more in love with her.

'Goodness me, you're practically a Lady!' He tickled her waist, making her giggle again. 'You know; I can't for the life of me remember if Mummy and Daddy remembered to get you a few presents for your birthday.' He said a few minutes later. 'Can you remember if we did, love?'

Anna had to fight to hide her smirk. 'No.' She shook her head. 'I suppose we'll just have to go downstairs and see, won't we?' Adelaide wriggled out of her father's arms before getting down from the bed and offering her mother her hand. 'I've never seen her move so quickly before.' Anna laughed as she looked at her husband, John giving her a smile before they rose from the bed. Adelaide then slipped her hand into her mother's before guiding her to the door, John following closely behind them as they left the bedroom and began to walk down the staircase.

After making it downstairs, Adelaide led Anna into the sitting room before she squealed in delight at the sight of the pile of presents that were sitting in the middle of the room. 'Happy birthday, my beautiful girl.' Anna squeezed her daughter's hand when she gazed up at her.

'All mine?' Adelaide beamed as she looked up at her parents.

'Yes, sweetheart,' John chuckled, 'they're all yours.'

'Can I open them now, Mummy, can I open them now?' She asked with hope in her eyes.

'In a minute.' Anna nodded. 'Let Mummy make us all a drink first and then you can.'

'Okay.' Adelaide replied before letting go of her hand and walking over to her presents.

Once she had sat down next to them and picked one up to shake it in an attempt to find out what it was, Anna wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and nuzzled her face into the hair on his chest. 'It's going to be such a good day.' She said when John kissed her crown.

'It is, my love.' He ran his hand up and down her back before she lifted her gaze to him and went up onto her tiptoes to leave a number of kisses on his lips. 'You're my world.' He told her.

'And you're mine, I promise you.' She reassured him. 'Now, I should probably go and make a start on our drinks and you should stay with this little madam because I'm not too sure we can trust her not to open them if she's left alone.' Adelaide looked at her over her shoulder with the cheekiest smile she had ever seen, she and John chuckling as he snugged her closer to him.

After leaving a final kiss to his cheek, Anna stepped past him and walked out of the sitting room to go and start on their cups of tea while he approached his armchair and sat down in it to watch Adelaide stare at the presents beside her. It wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning and yet he already knew that the day was going to be perfect.

Because he was going to be spending it with the two girls he loved more than life itself and no matter what he did, if he was with the two of them it could never be anything _but_ perfect.

* * *

It was later that morning when Anna was sat on the chair in front of her dressing table in the bedroom that she and John shared while she pushed another pin into her hair, a soft smile playing on her lips as she could see Adelaide sitting on the floor next to the bed in the mirror. She had insisted that she put her shoes on herself so that she could show her that she was now a big girl and, as far as Anna could tell from where she was sat, she was doing very well.

She looked so beautiful in the dress that John had bought as one of her presents. It was a deep red fabric with a white collar and cuffs on the sleeves that ended just before her elbows. When she had been helping her to get into her dress, Anna had remembered that she had had some ribbon which was almost the exact same shade of red and so she had used it to put her fiery curls up into a bun. There weren't words to describe just how grown up she looked.

'My shoes are on, Mummy.' Adelaide piped up as she took hold of her new doll and got to her feet so that she could walk over to where her mother was sat at her dressing table, her eyes sparkling when her mother caressed her cheek with the back of her hand before looking down at her shoes and smiling when she noticed that she had succeeded in putting them on right.

'You are such a clever girl, Addie.' Anna told her before opening her jewellery box and looking through her necklaces, a giggle escaping her when she heard Adelaide release a little "ooh…" as she peered in. 'Do you like Mummy's necklaces, precious?' She inquired as she gazed at her.

Adelaide nodded.

'Would you like to wear one to your party?' She raised her brow.

'Can I?' Adelaide asked as her eyes sparkled and a smile graced her features.

'If you take good care of it, yes.' Anna replied. 'Daddy bought me most of these.'

Adelaide patted her arm. 'I promise.' She said.

After leaning forward to give her daughter a kiss on the forehead, Anna placed the box down in her lap. 'You can choose the one you like best.' She told her while tucking a curl that had come loose from her bun back behind her ear, Adelaide turning her attention to the necklaces before she pulled out the one with a pearl on it. Her favourite necklace of all, to be honest. 'You want to wear that one, darling?' She raised her brow before Adelaide nodded in response.

'Yes please.' She said.

'Alright. Turn around and Mummy will put it on for you.' Anna told her before watching her do as she had said. She then put the chain around her neck before clasping it at the base of it and tucking the chain beneath the collar of her dress, Adelaide fingering the small pearl after she had turned back to her. ''It looks beautiful on you, Addie.' She said as she looked at her.

'Daddy buyed it?' The four-year-old asked.

Anna nodded. 'Daddy _did_ buy it for me, yes.'

'When?' Adelaide cocked her head to one side.

Anna placed her hands on her waist before lifting her into her lap and smoothing the skirt of her dress down, Adelaide cuddling against her chest before tilting her head back against it and looking up into her eyes. 'Do you remember when we looked through the photo album the other day and you saw a picture of me and Daddy on our wedding day?' She asked, smiling as her little girl nodded in response. 'Well, he bought me the necklace after that photograph.'

'I want a necklace from Daddy too!' Adelaide told her.

'Maybe when you're a little bit older he'll buy you a necklace of your own. Until then though, you can borrow Mummy's necklaces, okay?' Anna ran a hand up and down her leg through the white fabric of her tights, Adelaide humming whilst she stroked her doll's hair with her hand.

When Anna heard one of the floorboards creak out on the landing she turned her head in the direction of the bedroom door before smiling when she saw John standing in the doorway to their bedroom with nothing but love in his eyes as he looked at her and their daughter. 'I could be biased, but I think that I have two of the most beautiful girls in the world.' He said whilst entering the bedroom, Anna giggling before Adelaide wriggled in her arms to tell her that she wanted to be put down. 'Come here, sweetheart.' John said as his little girl walked up to him.

He bent down to scoop Adelaide up with one arm and perch her on his hip, her sweet laughter making his heart swell with love for her when she laced her arms around his neck. 'Don't you look gorgeous in your new dress?' He raised his brow whilst stroking her leg through her tights with his thumb, Adelaide pressing her lips to his cheek before lying her head on his shoulder. 'Why don't you go downstairs and put your doll in her pram?' He suggested after giving her a kiss on the head. 'Then, once Mummy's ready to go, we can all start walking up to Downton.'

'Okay, Daddy.' She replied before allowing him to put her down, her hand holding her doll's as she walked out of the bedroom and headed for the staircase while John approached his wife.

He came to stand behind her just as she finished putting on her necklace, Anna smiling at him through the mirror when he rested his hands on her shoulders before running them down her arms. 'She's not the only one who looks gorgeous.' He said before pressing his lips to the crown of her head, her eyes fluttering closed as she sighed in contentment. 'You look breathtaking.'

'Thank you, darling.' She replied as she tilted her head back against his chest and allowed him to drop a kiss onto her lips. When the two of them parted she got up from her chair before walking over to where she had left her shoes beside the bed, a huff escaping her when she sat down on the edge of the bed and started to put them on. 'She's going to love her new bed.'

'She will if she stays in it.' He chuckled as he sat down beside her. 'It's hard enough getting her to stay in her own bed _now,_ never mind when she's able to get out of it whenever she wants.'

Anna laughed while she finished fastening the buckle on her shoe. 'If you want me to help you or keep you company when you come back here to put the bed up later, I don't mind coming with you. I'm sure that Mrs. Hughes wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Adelaide and if I'm quite honest I doubt that she would even notice if we left for an hour or two since Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold have been given permission to come downstairs and spend some time with her.'

'I have never seen those girls so interested in a child before.' He admitted with a chortle.

'It's because of her curls.' Anna told him. 'The two of them seem to have a bit of an obsession with them.'

John hummed in agreement with her. 'I'm glad that she gets on so well with them. You know; when I came here to pick her up after you had your procedure, Mrs. Hughes told me that - when she had fallen over in the garden - Miss Sybbie had sat with her in the servant's hall and cuddled with her until she had stopped crying.' Anna smiled as she looked up at him.

'She's Lady Sybil's daughter; that's for sure.' She told him before sliding her hand into his and getting up from the bed. 'Come on,' She said once he had stood up himself, 'if we don't start walking up to Downton now then Adelaide's going to be late for her own party and that won't look too good.' The two of them shared a laugh before he rested his free hand on her cheek and brushed his thumb against her skin, adoring the way that her eyes fell shut at the feeling.

'I love you.' His lips grazed her forehead as he spoke before he kissed her there.

'I love you too.' She reassured him, stroking his knuckles with the pad of her thumb. 'So much.'

He then began to lead her out of the bedroom and down the stairs, the sight of their little girl standing at the front door with her doll in its pram and her coat on making them smile. Once the two of them had gotten their own coats on, John opened the door and let Anna and Adelaide leave the cottage first before he followed them and locked up. Slipping the key to the cottage into the pocket of his jacket, he walked over to his wife before sliding his arm around her waist and drawing her close to him as they started their ten minute walk to Downton with Adelaide.

* * *

'How long has she been standing like that for?' John asked when he came to stand beside his wife when she was standing out in the garden at Downton later that afternoon, amusement lacing his voice as the two of them watched Adelaide stand on the grass with her hands over her eyes as she played a quick game of hide and seek with Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold.

'Going on two minutes now.' Anna laughed as she watched Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold walk around in pretend search of Adelaide, a smile on her lips as she loved how patient and gentle the girls were with her. 'I think she thinks she's winning.' She knew that she should've chided John for wrapping his arm around her and holding her close, but she just didn't care.

Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and cuddled up to him before a quiet sigh of happiness escaped her. The two of them stood in one another's embrace for a few moments, smiling and laughing together when Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold "found" Adelaide and began to tickle her which caused all three of them to release infectious laughter into the air.

'Seeing her playing with Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold like that just makes me feel more impatient for this little one to make its appearance.' John murmured into his wife's hair once he had left a kiss to the side of her head, the hand that was resting on her waist travelling inwards until it came to rest on her lower abdomen through the floral dress that she had on.

'Me too.' She ran her hand across his chest when she met his gaze. 'I think that the next six months will pass fairly quickly though. Especially since we have this little madam to keep the two of us busy.' She gestured with her head to their little girl who was now running over to them with her hair-ribbon in her hand, John smirking whilst he gave her back a gentle stroke.

When Adelaide reached the two of them she handed the ribbon to her mother, her little chest rising and falling heavily as she was out of breath. 'Are you ready to come inside for a drink yet, sweet pea?' Anna raised her brow at her as she reached down to sweep her hand through her curls, Adelaide glancing over her shoulder to reassure herself that Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold were coming over before she nodded. 'Come on, then.' Anna offered her hand to her.

Adelaide slipped her hand into hers before beginning to walk alongside her as she began to lead her back towards the courtyard, Anna smiling when she felt Miss Sybbie take hold of her free hand. 'Miss Anna?' Sybbie raised her brow after tilting her head back to gaze up at her.

'Yes, lovely?' Anna replied.

'How old is Adelaide?' The five-year-old asked.

'She's four today.' Anna told her while sweeping her thumb across her knuckles.

She looked over her shoulder at Miss Marigold when she too said: 'Miss Anna?'

'Yes?' She smiled as she watched her hold onto John's hand and walk alongside him.

'Adelaide sleep over?' The two-year-old inquired while sucking on her thumb.

Anna and John shared a smile. 'Maybe when she's a little bit older, sweetheart.' She told her.

'Okay.' Marigold nodded.

When Anna lowered her gaze to her daughter once again she gave her hand a light squeeze, prompting Adelaide to tilt her head back and look up into her eyes before she blessed her with a smile that took her breath away. 'I love you so much, my sweet girl.' She told her gently.

'I love you too, Mummy.' Adelaide reassured her. 'And I love Daddy.'

'I love you too, darling.' John chuckled when she looked over her shoulder at him.

The five of them fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to head for the courtyard, Adelaide and Miss Sybbie cuddling up to Anna while she led them through the back door and into the servant's hall.

* * *

Anna gave a soft hum against her husband's lips when she was laying beneath him on their bed at the cottage a few hours later, her arms wrapped around his neck whilst she teased the hairs at the nape of his neck with her fingertips and his hands were on her hips through her dress whilst his tongue danced with hers. 'You know,' She said between deep kisses, 'it won't be long before Adelaide wonders where we are. Don't you think we should start heading back?'

She had planned to come home while Adelaide was having something to eat with Miss Sybbie and Miss Marigold, help her husband put her "big girl" bed up and then return to the party. John, however, had obviously had other ideas because as soon as the two of them had finished putting away the tools he had walked her into their bedroom and over to their marital bed.

'We will in a minute.' He replied against her skin as his lips left hers and began to leave a trail of kisses across her cheek and down her neck. 'I haven't had you to myself since nine o'clock this morning and I won't have you to myself again until at least half-past nine this evening, so I'm making the most of it.' He revelled in the giggle that escaped her as he kissed her neck.

After managing to reassure herself that they had enough time for this little shenanigan, Anna tangled her fingers in his hair to hold him in place and turned her head to one side to offer more of her neck to his lips. Her eyes fell closed and she sighed in contentment whilst John left several open-mouthed kisses on her neck, giggles leaving her whenever he moved his lips to her ear to tell her just how stunning she looked or how much he loved her. Oh, she adored him.

She used the fingers that were buried in his hair to bring his face back to hers a short time later, a smile playing on her lips as she nudged her nose affectionately against his own before bringing him down into a kiss. The two of them kissed gently for a few minutes before John turned onto his back and brought her to sit atop him, Anna giggling as she caressed his chest.

'I am so proud of you, you know.' He shook his head when he reached up to stroke her hair.

'And why is that?' She asked as she leaned back against his legs.

He ran his hand down her neck, along her shoulder and along the outside of her body before resting his hands on her waist through her dress. 'You've been through so much through the years and yet you've still got the same beautiful heart you had on the day we met. You could have allowed what happened in the past to change who you are and to harden your heart, but you didn't let that happen and I am so proud of you for that. You are so strong, my love.'

'I'm only strong because I have you.' She told him as she took one of his hands in hers and laced their fingers together. 'I never would have been able to get past my attack or through my miscarriage if you hadn't had been here to support me.' Her heart started to swell with love for him when he brought their joined hands to his lips and left a kiss to the back of her palm, a sigh escaping her when she shifted carefully until she was lying down on his chest.

John ran his hand over her hair when she rested her head on his shoulder and nudged a leg between his, his lips finding her forehead as she grasped the fabric of his waistcoat in her hand before pressing her face into the side of his neck. 'Have you realised,' His voice caused the silence that had fallen over the two of them to end after a few seconds, 'that this is the first time you and I have been alone in the cottage since we brought Adelaide home with us?'

'Goodness, it is, isn't it?' She replied when she realised that he was correct.

'I was wondering why it was so quiet and then I remembered where she is.' He teased.

Anna gave his chest a swat before pushing herself up to look down at him. 'I know that we have quite a little whirlwind for a daughter, but I wouldn't change her for the world. She's so precious and I love her more than I ever thought was possible for someone to love a child.' John's smile in response prompted her to kiss him on the lips before laying down once again.

'She never fails to astound me.' He admitted. 'She's such a bright little girl.'

'She is.' Anna nodded against the side of his neck. 'Do you know what she said earlier on?'

John shook his head. 'What did she say?'

'She was sat rocking her doll while I was getting dressed,' She ran her hand along his chest, 'and she told me that she was practising rocking it to sleep so that - when this little one makes its appearance - she can rock it to sleep for me when I'm too tired to do it.' John chortled at that, the thought of his little girl wanting to help out so much making him feel so proud of her.

'I've said it before and I'll say it again.' He rubbed her arm. 'She'll be such a good big sister.'

'She will.' She agreed.

When she looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand on her side of the bed, she saw that it was nearing five o'clock and that the two of them had almost been gone from Downton for two hours. Sitting up, she ran a hand through her hair before sighing as she stretched. 'We've really got to get going now.' She said to John. 'We can't miss any more of Adelaide's party.'

He knew that she was correct and so, after getting up from the bed, they smoothed all of the wrinkles out of their clothes before taking one another's hand and beginning to leave their cottage so that they could make the walk back to Downton and back to their lovely little girl.

* * *

'Why don't you put her to bed tonight?' Anna whispered when the two of them entered the cottage after making it home from Downton later that evening, John holding Adelaide on his hip as she was out like a light against his shoulder. 'The bed was _your_ gift to her, after all.'

'Alright.' John smiled as he readjusted their little girl on his hip before she gave a whimper in her sleep and snuggled further into him, her arms sliding around his neck. Anna took a step closer to the two of them and laid her hand on the small of Adelaide's back before leaving a kiss to the side of her head, her eyes drifting closed while she breathed in her natural scent.

After drawing back from her daughter, she tucked a curl back behind her ear. 'Sweet dreams, precious.' She said before moving out of John's way so that he could carry Adelaide upstairs.

It didn't take long for John to reach their little girl's bedroom and push open the door so that he could step inside, Adelaide's eyelashes brushing against the side of his neck as she slept. He carried her over to her new bed before beginning to lower her down onto it, a smile on his lips when her eyes flicked open and she sat on the edge of it. 'Daddy?' She rubbed her eyes.

'I'm here, my darling, it's alright.' He ran his hand over her hair while her eyes adjusted to the light of the room. 'Are you going to wait here for a moment whilst I go and find you a cloth and a nightgown?' Adelaide nodded in response as she hummed before he bent down to give her a kiss on the head. 'Good girl.' He then turned on his heel to walk over to her wardrobe.

It didn't take long for him to find her a nightgown out of her wardrobe and a cloth out of her drawers, and when he began to walk over to her bed once again he chuckled as he saw that she had lain herself down on the quilt. 'I'm tired, Daddy.' She yawned when he sat next to her.

'I know you are.' He whispered. 'It's been a long day, hasn't it?'

'Mmm hmm.' She replied.

'Well, the sooner you let Daddy get you changed the sooner you can get some sleep, okay?' He fell more in love with her when she answered him by turning over onto her back so that he could get started on swapping the cloth that she had been wearing all day for a fresh one.

It took him minutes to get her cloth changed and her nightgown on, and before either of them knew it she was lying her head down on her pillow and he was drawing the covers over her. 'I like my new bed.' She told him whilst her gorgeous green eyes fluttered closed. 'It's very pretty.'

'I'm glad you like it, princess.' He stroked her curls. 'Did you have a good birthday?'

'Yep.' She snuggled further down beneath the quilt, sighing as she made herself comfortable.

'Good.' He leaned down to kiss her cheek. 'Get some sleep now, alright?'

'Alright.' She echoed. 'Goodnight, Daddy.'

'Goodnight, sweetheart.' He replied before tucking her beloved teddy-bear into bed beside her.

Once he was certain that she was succumbing to the clutches of slumber he rose from the bed before turning out the lamp on the nightstand beside her, his heart fit to burst with the love that he possessed for her as he took one last look at her before turning around and beginning to walk over to her bedroom door. He made sure to close it quietly when he exited the room.

He ran his hand through her hair while he walked along the landing to the room he and Anna shared, his breath hitching when he opened the door and his gaze landed on his wife as she was sat on the edge of their bed in a lace cream peignoir. The hem of the garment ended just a few inches above her knees and the peignoir itself was held up by spaghetti straps. She looked...magnificent.

As she rose from the bed with a nervous smile her hair tumbled down her back, a gentle blush in her cheeks as she walked over to him before going up onto her tiptoes and giving him the softest kiss on the lips. Her hand came up to rest on his chest when she lingered for a moment before peeling back, the two of them parting with a smack as he rested his hand on her hip.

'Not that I'm complaining,' He asked her whilst their foreheads kissed, 'but what is all of this?'

'Nothing.' She shook her head. 'I...I found this peignoir when I was out shopping for a dress for Adelaide's party a couple of days ago and I...I knew that I would regret it if I left it behind.'

A smile graced John's features.

'What do you think?' She asked when she looked up into his eyes.

'I think…' He placed his hand on the small of her back before pulling her closer, Anna running her hand along the outside of his arm through his shirt, 'that you look absolutely gorgeous.'

She breathed a sigh of relief. 'You do?'

'You could never look anything less.' He told her.

'You're such a charmer,' She giggled, 'but I'll let you get away with it just this once.'

John lowered his head to ghost a kiss over her lips. 'Oh, will you now?'

The two of them looked at each other in silence for a few moments before Anna brought her hand to the back of his neck and gave him a full kiss, her thumb smoothing across his skin. 'John?' She took the hand that was on her hip in hers before walking backwards toward their bed, her husband raising his brow at her as there was a smile on his lips. 'Make love to me.'

He didn't need her to tell him twice.

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 **Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that and that you'll drop me a review to let me know what you thought of it as I love reviews so much (if you couldn't tell)! I also hope that you'll keep on following this fic. I'm not sure how many more chapters there'll be, but stay tuned because when this fic is complete I have another fic coming which involves an eighteen-year-old Adelaide!**

 **See you all next time x**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Hello, and welcome to chapter 15! I honestly can't believe that this fanfic has come so far. When I first started writing it I was unsure if people would like it and I never imagined that it would get such a following. Thank you to each and every one of you who has read, reviewed and followed this fanfiction. Without you, there would be no point in me writing this! I hope that you all continue to like the content that I put out and that you'll all keep following until the end. And now...please enjoy! x**

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The discomfort and fatigue was clear in Adelaide's eyes when Anna was sat with her on the settee a few mornings later, her head cocked to one side as she gazed down at her and rocked back and forth with her in her arms while she sucked at her breast. It was rare that she allowed Adelaide to comfort nurse these days; she and John were trying to encourage her to use a comfort blanket or pacifier when she needed solace, but when she was sick and wanted nothing more than to be held by her mother, Anna would cave and let her latch on. 'Mummy…' Adelaide whimpered quietly.

'I know, sweet pea,' Anna soothed before running a hand over her hair, 'I know you're not feeling well.' She lowered her head to kiss her on the temple before sighing at how warm her skin was.

Adelaide's cries had woken her just after midnight and when she had gone to comfort her she had found that her little girl had thrown up all over herself and over her bed. Once the initial shock had worn off she had helped Adelaide out of bed before taking off her nightgown and putting it in the washing basket. She had then led her by the hand out of her bedroom and along the landing to the bathroom so that she could give her a quick bath. Adelaide had done nothing but apologise.

It had broken her heart to hear her say that she was sorry over and over again and despite the fact that she had reassured her each time that she didn't need to apologise, it hadn't done anything to stop her. Once she had given her a bath and helped her into a clean cloth and nightgown, she had tucked her into bed beside John and gone back to her bedroom to strip her bed and put all of the soiled linen and her pillowcase into the washing basket to be washed. Everything had been filthy.

Thankfully, Adelaide had slept and hadn't thrown up again, but she had woken through the night and had been in an awful mood. She had woken her parents at three o'clock and told the two of them that she had wanted to go downstairs since she couldn't sleep, but when Anna and John had told her to lie back down and wait for the sun to wake up first, she had thrown a fit. It had been hard for the two of them to not raise their voices with her as she had screamed at them, but when Anna had said that if she didn't stop she would go back to her own bed she had begun to settle.

Once her tears and screams had stopped, John had sat up and cradled her in his arms to get her off to sleep again and to let Anna get some rest. Adelaide had apologised to him several times when he had been rocking back and forth with her and patting the small of her back, but he had known that – had she not been so ill – her outburst never would have happened. Before she had drifted off in his arms he had shushed her and given her a kiss on the forehead before saying that she had done nothing wrong and that she wasn't in trouble. He knew that she had felt genuinely sorry.

It hadn't taken her long to fall asleep again with her face buried in his chest and her fingers curled into the hairs that layered it, and once he had laid her back down in the space between himself and his wife he had stroked Anna's face and held Adelaide close before falling asleep beside them. It had been around eight o'clock when Adelaide had woken again and in minutes she had been throwing up into the sick bowl that he and Anna kept beside the bed whilst he had held her curls out of her face. The sound of her fatigued sobs between retches had caused his heart to shatter.

Anna had woken up when Adelaide had laid down beside her and pressed her face into her throat once she had finished throwing up and John had gotten out of bed to go and clean the bowl, and she could still remember the feeling of helplessness that had hit her when Adelaide had asked her to make her feel better. She hated knowing that her little girl was sick but not knowing what to do to take it away for her. It made her feel as though she was a bad mother and she despised that.

It was a little while later when she realised that Adelaide's sucks on her breast had slowed and she lowered her gaze to her, a small smile curling her lips when she saw that her daughter had fallen asleep on her. Her eyelashes were fluttering against her cheeks as she slept and her hand rested on the curve of her breast, her fingers twitching against her skin as she released the gentlest snores.

'Come here, my baby girl.' Anna whispered after easing Adelaide back from her breast and pulling the strap of her nightgown back up to her shoulder, the four-year-old wrapping her arms around her neck and hiding her face in her shoulder once she had sat her up in her lap. She reclined back against a pillow on the settee after kissing her forehead, her eyes closing as she stroked her back.

She was exhausted. Ever since she and John had gotten out of bed with Adelaide that morning she had been followed around the cottage by her little girl, Adelaide clinging onto her as she hadn't wanted to be anywhere that she wasn't. Earlier that morning she had been making a cup of tea for herself and John and when she had asked Adelaide to let go of her for a second so that she could use the kettle, her little girl had sat on the floor and cried. She was so emotional, the little darling.

After burying her nose in Adelaide's hair and settling down with her, Anna began to drift off but before she could fall asleep, the sound of the front door opening and closing made her open her eyes. She listened to the sound of rustling as John took off his hat and overcoat and hung them up on their respective hooks, a tired smile appearing on her lips when he appeared in the doorway and she held their daughter a little tighter. 'Were there any telegrams for us?' She inquired softly.

'Just a few bills.' He replied as he walked over to the settee before sitting down in the space beside her and reaching out to stroke Adelaide's cheek with the back of his hand. 'How's she feeling?'

'She perked up a little when you left and she asked me to read her _Winnie the Pooh_ book, but she threw up again afterwards and then I let her comfort nurse. I know that I'm not meant to, but I hate saying "no" to her when she's not well and it managed to get her off to sleep.' She glanced up at John once she had pressed a kiss onto Adelaide's hairline and snugged her closer to her chest. 'You don't think I'm a bad mother, do you?' She raised her brow at him, her voice shaking a little.

A crease formed in-between John's brows. 'I could never think that about you.' He slipped an arm around her before drawing her close and allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder, a tearful sigh escaping her as her eyes closed. 'What's brought this on, hmm?' He kissed her brow tenderly.

'I don't know what to do to make her better.' She told him. 'I don't know what I can give to her to help her stop feeling so sick and I feel like – as her mother – I'm supposed to know.' John heard the weariness in her voice and stroked her waist through her nightgown whilst nuzzling her hair.

'My lovely, no-one expects you to know everything.' He reminded her, his voice no higher than a whisper. 'No-one expects you to take one look at Addie and know what medication she needs or how she needs to be taken care of so that she stops feeling sick.' Anna hummed against his neck in response. 'I think you're emotional and thinking like this because you're worn out.' He told her.

She shook her head. 'I'm fine.'

'I can see it in your eyes, Anna.' He said. 'I'll tell you what's going to happen now. You're going to take Adelaide up to our room, get into bed and take a nap with her whilst I call doctor Clarkson and ask him if he has the time to come round and give her a check-up. Then, if there's a medicine that we can give to Addie to help her feel less nauseous, he can prescribe it.' Anna smiled as she tilted her head back on his shoulder and gazed up at him, a sigh leaving her as he stroked her face.

'Have I ever told you how much I love you?' She asked.

'Mmm…once or twice.' He teased before rubbing his nose against hers.

She giggled when he pulled back to look into her eyes. 'Well, I do.' She told him. 'So much.'

'I love you too.' He tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear before using his thumb and his forefinger to take hold of her chin, their eyes falling closed when he pressed his lips against hers.

The smack of their lips echoed in the silence of the room before Anna lifted her head off of John's shoulder and sat up next to him, Adelaide whining in her slumber at the movement before she shushed her and pecked her cheek. 'Are you sure you don't mind me going for a nap?' She smiled.

'I wouldn't have suggested it if I minded.' John stroked her hair. 'Now, up you go. I'll come up and check on the two of you in about an hour.' Anna nodded her reply before leaning forward to kiss him once more, the two of them sharing a smile when they parted before she rose from the settee.

Once she had managed to get Adelaide balanced on her hip and her little girl had laid her head on her shoulder, she carried her out of the sitting room and up the stairs while her husband went to the telephone and started to call doctor Clarkson's office in order to talk with him about Adelaide.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Anna was lying underneath the covers of the bed that she and John shared, her gaze fixed on Adelaide as she slept in the space beside her and she ran her fingertips through her curls. The two of them had tried to snuggle once doctor Clarkson had left after taking a look at Adelaide, but when her little girl had started to sweat because of her high temperature and their closeness, Anna had eased her over to John's side of the bed and gotten her settled again.

Adelaide was now sleeping on top of the covers with her head on John's pillow, her hand framing her face as her curls stuck to the areas of her face where sweat had formed and she released soft snores. When the doctor had finished checking Adelaide over he had come to the conclusion that she had a simple virus that would disappear on its own in a couple of days, but he had left Anna and John with some medicine for her that was supposed to help her feel a little more comfortable.

Running the back of her hand down Adelaide's freckled cheek, Anna felt relieved as she could tell that her temperature was starting to come down. She was still warm, but nowhere near as warm as she had been when the two of them had been snuggling on the settee together. She prayed that her little girl's temperature continued to come down rather than go back up when the medicine wore off, but she knew that there was a chance that things would get worse before getting better.

When she heard the bedroom door squeak on its hinges after a few minutes she looked up, a smile spreading across her lips as she watched her husband enter the room with a cup of tea in hand. 'I thought you could do with one.' John whispered after closing the door after himself. 'You've been up here for hours now.' Once he had reached the bed and set her cup of tea down on the bedside table, Anna stopped running her fingers through Adelaide's hair and started to sit up with a yawn.

'She's drenched in sweat.' She said after reclining back against their headboard. 'Her nightgown is stuck to her skin and it can't be comfortable for her, but I daren't move her in case she wakes up and starts screaming again.' John ran his hand along her leg as he was sat on the edge of their bed.

'Just leave her be until she wakes up from her nap.' He told her. 'She'll be alright.'

Anna gave a silent nod before yawning again and covering her mouth with her hand. 'Did you get a little sleep when you came up here with her?' John raised his brow at her after a few moments.

'I think I got an hour at most.' She replied. 'She kept moving around because she can't get settled.'

He ran the back of his hand down her cheek in a tender caress. 'Come here.' He patted his lap.

She wasted no time in getting out from underneath the covers and placing herself in his lap, a sigh escaping her lungs as he wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled against his chest. 'I want you to close your eyes and go to sleep.' John whispered into her hair before giving her head a kiss.

'But,'

'No buts.' He told her softly. 'If Adelaide wakes up then I'll take care of her. You've earned a rest.'

Anna kissed his neck a number of times before settling in his arms. 'Thank you, John.'

'You're welcome.' He ran his hand up and down her back. 'Now get some sleep, darling.'

Once Anna had curled her fingers into his undershirt it took minutes for her to nod off, her warm breath beating against the side of his neck while she snored and he cradled her against his chest. His back began to protest after a time, however, and so he shuffled backwards with her held in his arms until he was able to lean back against the headboard of the bed and kiss her on the temple.

'Mummy…' The sound of Adelaide stirring after a couple of minutes made John look down at her.

'Shh…' He hushed after reaching out to stroke her hair. 'It's alright, Addie, you go back to sleep.'

The sensation of his fingers running through her hair helped her to do just that and when she had started to snore again he drew back his hand, a sigh escaping him as he wiped it on his trousers. So, his wife hadn't been exaggerating. Their little girl was soaked to the bone with her own sweat. He knew that he would have to lie Anna down and rid Adelaide of her nightgown soon so that she didn't get rubbed by it, but for now Adelaide was comfortable and so he wouldn't disturb her.

He would just hold his wife in his arms and watch over her and their daughter.

Two of his most favourite things to do.

* * *

'She asked if she could come and sleep in here with us tonight and I didn't see a problem with her doing that.' Anna told her husband when she entered their bedroom with Adelaide balanced on her hip once she had bathed her that evening, John smiling at them from where he was sat in bed.

'Of course, it's not a problem.' He said before Anna set their daughter down on the end of the bed. 'Come and have a cuddle with Daddy, darling.' He opened his arms to his sleepy little girl before Adelaide crawled towards him, a huff leaving her when she all but flopped into his arms and used the back of her hand to rub at her eye while he pulled her close to his chest and kissed her nose.

'I'm tired, Daddy.' She told him when she laid her head on his chest and looked at him.

John ran a hand over her damp curls. 'Well, we can all get some sleep now, can't we?'

'Time for bed, Mummy.' Adelaide said while patting Anna's side of the bed, causing her to giggle.

'I'm coming; I'm coming.' She reassured her as she walked over to the bed while using a ribbon to tie off the end of her overnight braid, she and John sharing a smile when she peeled their covers back before climbing into bed beside he and their daughter. Once she was comfortable she turned off the lamp on her bedside table, letting John's lamp be the only source of light in the bedroom.

She laid her head down on her pillow after a few seconds before smiling as Adelaide left the arms of her father for a moment in order to move closer to her, lean down and press a kiss to the side of her head through her hair. 'Have a nice rest, Mummy.' The four-year-old hummed into her hair.

'And you, my lovely.' Anna took her hand in hers before pecking the back of it. 'I love you loads.'

Adelaide smiled at that. 'I love you too.'

She then shifted back over to her father before allowing him to wrap his arms around her again, a yawn escaping John as he turned off the lamp on his bedside table and laid down with Adelaide. 'Daddy?' His little girl said into the darkness whilst brushing her fingertips through his chest hair.

'Yes, Addie?' He raised his brow.

'Have nice bye-byes.' She told him.

'I will, darling.' He chuckled. 'I hope you have nice bye-byes too.'

'Daddy?' Adelaide said again after a couple of minutes.

 _'Yes, Addie?'_ He replied for the second time.

'Mummy's making strange noises.' She told him, John lying in silence for a time while he listened.

He couldn't help but smile into his daughter's curls. 'She's sleeping, my love, just like you should be.'

'Oh.' She whispered before letting out rather a large yawn. 'I love you.'

'I love you too, princess.' He reassured her. 'Now, close your eyes and get some rest like Mummy.'

'Okay.' She replied.

In just a few minutes she had buried her face in his chest and fallen asleep with one hand lying on his side, his heart filled with nothing but love for her and his wife as he listened to their snoring. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room he looked over at Anna, his lips curling into a smile as he could see that she was sound asleep with one of her hands tucked beneath her cheek.

Reaching out with the hand that wasn't wrapped around Adelaide's waist, he traced the sharpness of his wife's jaw with his fingers before running his hand along the slope of her neck, across her shoulder and down her arm before taking her spare hand in his. 'Sleep well, my gorgeous girl.' He whispered to her while he entwined his fingers with her own. 'Goodness knows you deserve it.'

After smoothing his thumb across her knuckles he settled down with her and Adelaide and closed his eyes before sighing, his hold of his little girl and his wife's hand tightening as he beamed. His little girl might have been under the weather and she and Anna might have been fatigued, but the two of them were still two of the strongest girls he had ever known and he adored them for that.

They, and the perfect little life that was growing and developing inside his wife, meant the whole world and more to him and he knew that – no matter what occurred - that would never change.

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 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and please let me know what you thought! If you enjoyed it please let me know with a review and I'll see you all in the next chapter x**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 16! This chapter is a lot smaller than some of the others I have written, but sometimes I feel it's good to have shorter chapters amidst longer ones. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this and happy reading! x**

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Anna couldn't stop herself from smiling when she was lying in bed beside Adelaide a few evenings later, her arms wrapped around her little girl's middle whilst the two of them laid in silence in the glow of the oil lamp and Adelaide's head was pillowed on her chest. She watched her daughter run her hand back and forth across her belly with adoration in her eyes as she knew how excited and impatient she was for a bump to appear, her heart swelling when Adelaide gazed up into her eyes.

'Mummy?' The four-year-old raised her brow.

'Yes, darling?' Anna replied.

'When will the baby be here?' Adelaide asked.

'I'm afraid the baby isn't going to be here for another six months yet.' Anna told her.

Adelaide's face fell a little. 'Why so long?'

'Because the baby has to grow and have all its fingers and toes and hair before it can come out, my lovely.' Anna explained. 'I know that six months sounds like it's so far away, but it's going to pass so quickly, I promise you, and - soon enough - you and Daddy are going to be able to feel it kicking and shifting around, just like I can!' That seemed to put a smile back on her sweet little girl's face.

The two of them fell back into silence after that, Adelaide curling into her mother side as she began to run her hand back and forth across her stomach again. After a few minutes, however, Adelaide sat up and shuffled down the bed a little before leaning down to press a kiss onto her mother's belly through her nightgown. 'Night, night, baby,' She whispered against the fabric, 'have nice dreams.'

Anna felt tears of happiness spring to her eyes when her little girl began rubbing her cheek against her stomach, her love for her deepening as she reached down to rake her fingers through her curls. She knew that her unborn child hadn't heard what Adelaide had just said, but Adelaide didn't and she wasn't going to tell her otherwise. If she wanted to talk to her brother or sister, then she could.

Once she had finished giving her stomach kisses and telling the baby to sleep well for the last time, Adelaide shuffled back up the bed before lying down beside her mother again and snuggling into her. 'It's time for you to get some rest now as well, sweet-pea.' Anna gave the top of her head a kiss.

'Can we have our special cuddle, Mummy?' Adelaide asked when she looked up at her.

Anna sighed as she stroked her cheek with her hand. Ever since she and John had left the adoption centre with her and had brought her home, the two of them had referred to her comfort-nursing time as their "special cuddle" time. She had been comfort-nursing quite a lot since she had fallen sick - it had been one of the only things that had worked to settle her - but she wasn't that sick now.

Adelaide was still prone to having a tantrum if she was refused anything that she wanted though, and so Anna decided that one more night of comfort-nursing wouldn't do much harm. 'If we have our special cuddle, will you try and get some sleep?' She asked her as she snugged her a little closer.

'Mmm hmm.' Adelaide nodded.

'Alright, then.' Anna smiled before pressing a kiss onto her forehead and sitting up for a moment in order to pull one of the straps of her nightgown down, a sigh leaving her lips when she laid down beside Adelaide again and rested one hand on her waist. 'Come here, my baby girl.' She whispered, her daughter moving back into her embrace before she latched onto her breast and started to suck.

'I'm not a baby anymore, Mummy, I'm a big girl.' Adelaide said whilst she looked up into her eyes.

Anna ran a hand over her hair before using her fingers to tuck a curl back behind her ear. 'You are always going to be mine and Daddy's baby, sweet-pea, no matter how old you get.' She admitted.

'Even when I'm really, _really_ old?' The four-year-old raised her brow as she continued to nurse.

Anna couldn't help but giggle in response before she kissed her on the brow. 'Even then.'

The two of them looked at one another in silence for a short time then, Adelaide's eyes beginning to droop after just a couple of minutes. Knowing that it wouldn't be long before slumber claimed her, Anna got a little more comfortable before bringing her hand to the back of her little girl's head and cupping it in her palm. She then brushed her thumb against her curls, smiling as she watched her.

Within the next few minutes she was asleep against her breast, her dark eyelashes beating against her cheeks as her hand laid on the curve of her breast and she sucked subconsciously on her nipple. Anna released shushes into her hair when she whined in her slumber as she brought her back from her breast, her lips curing into a warm smile when she laid her on her back on her side of the bed.

Once Adelaide had shifted into a more comfortable position and her hand had come to settle at the side of her head on her pillow, Anna took her pacifier off of the nightstand and slipped it into her mouth before kissing her on the temple. 'Sweet dreams, princess,' She smiled, 'I love you so, so much.

She then pushed herself into a sitting position before rising from the bed and making her way over to the bedroom door, her heart fluttering when she looked over her shoulder to glance at Adelaide once more. After reassuring herself that she was comfortable and settled, she switched off the light - allowing the oil lamp on her nightstand to be the only source of it - and heading out of the room.

She closed the bedroom door after her after stepping out onto the landing and started to descend the stairs, her eyes falling closed as a yawn escaped her when she ran her hand through her hair after reaching the ground floor. The sitting room was dim and warmed from the fire that was roaring in the hearth when she walked in, she and John sharing a smile when she glanced over at the settee.

'You look done in.' He sighed from where he was sat with his book.

'Your daughter did _not_ like the idea of going to sleep tonight.' She admitted as she approached him.

He chortled. 'Why is she always _my_ daughter when she won't go to sleep?'

'Because I think she's picked up on your sleeping habits.' She told him after joining him on the settee.

John reached out to tuck a strand of her hair back behind her ear before trailing his fingertips along the line of her jaw, bookmarking his page, closing his book and opening his arms to her. Once she had shuffled into his embrace, she lifted her legs up onto the settee and placed her head on his chest.

'This has to be one of my favourite times of the day.' She said, draping her arm over his stomach.

'Mine, too.' He murmured as he buried his lips in her hair.

The two of them sat in silence together for quite a while as the fire crackled and spat in the hearth, Anna revelling in the feeling of his chest rising and falling beneath her cheek whilst John pressed soft kisses to the crown of her head and massaged her waist through her nightgown. 'When do you have to go back to work?' She asked him eventually whilst curling her fingers into his undershirt.

'Next Wednesday.' He sighed in response.

'Adelaide isn't going to be pleased.' She winced a little at the thought of the meltdown that she was certain their daughter was going to have when he left the cottage to return to work in a fortnight. 'She hates it when you leave the cottage to go and run an errand for me or walk up to the house to see if there are telegrams for us, so I dread to think what she'll be like when you're gone for hours.'

John tightened his hold of her before she shifted in his embrace until her head came to be cushioned on his shoulder and she looked up into his eyes. 'We'll just have to take her to Mr. Mason's farm so that she can see the animals and on a few other days out before I have to go back to work. Then at least we will have done a couple of things together.' Anna nodded against him with a little smile.

'I still have another month before I have to return to work and I'm so nervous because, before I do, I have to speak with Lady Mary about handing in my notice. It's the sensible thing to do for Addie and me, I know it is, but I can't help feeling as though I'm going to ruin our friendship because of it. Things aren't going to be the same when I leave.' She closed her eyes when John pecked her brow.

'Handing in your notice is _not_ going to ruin your friendship with Lady Mary.' He whispered to her. 'Anna, she loves you and she'll understand. It isn't as though you're handing your notice in for no reason; you're handing your notice in because you want to be a full-time mother, and there is not a single thing wrong in that. I promise you, my darling, that you have nothing to be scared about.'

She snuggled further into him before sighing. 'It feels so weird to know that I'll be leaving service in a month-or-so. I've worked at Downton since I was seventeen...that's twenty-three years. You know; I can still remember dressing the girls for dinner for the first time after Mrs. Hughes asked if I would serve as a ladies-maid as well as a housemaid.' John smiled into her hair whilst bringing her closer.

'How young would Lady Sybil have been, then?' He asked.

'Well, I started dressing the girls when I was eighteen and so…' She did the calculation in her head, 'She would have been eight; a few months away from turning nine.' She said to him with a smile.

He reached for her hand before giving it a soft squeeze. 'It doesn't come as a shock to me that it was harder for you than other when she passed, then. If you were dressing her for seventeen years.' The slightest of smiles appeared on his wife's lips when she nodded in response and cuddled against him.

'In the weeks after she died, I found myself going to her bedroom out of habit.' She admitted.

'I could tell that it was affecting you when you came to visit me in prison, no matter how hard you tried to disguise it. The thing that I hated the most was knowing that you were hurting and being unable to comfort you.' He told her, her eyes holding nothing but love for him when she looked into his eyes before tilting back her head and pressing her lips to his. 'I love you, you know.' He smiled.

'I should hope you do.' She chuckled. 'Your ring has been on my finger for the last seven years now.'

He held her gaze as he lifted her hand to his lips before leaving a kiss to the gold ring she had been mentioning. 'One of the best decisions I ever made.' He slipped his fingers through the gaps in hers.

'What's the other best decision you've ever made?' She asked as she cocked her head to one side.

'Agreeing to adopt the beautiful little girl who's sleeping above us.' He said as he gestured up to the ceiling with his head. 'She might be a whirlwind at the best of times and a cheeky madam - like her mother - on occasion,' He tickled her, 'but she means more to me than I ever thought she would.'

Anna grasped his undershirt in her hand again before kissing his cheek. 'You mean the world to us.'

'And the two of you mean the world to me.' He reassured her. 'Now, how about we put this fire out and go and get into bed with Addie, hmm? It'll be a lot warmer in our room than it is down here.'

'I wonder if she's going to lie still tonight.' She giggled. 'I woke up this morning and found her at the foot of our bed with her thumb in her mouth and her bottom in the air.' The two of them laughed.

'As long as she's sleeping, I don't mind where she is.' He admitted. 'That's what's making her better.'

Anna had to agree. The medicine that doctor Clarkson had given to them hadn't done much at all.

'Come on,' She took his hand in hers after a few seconds, 'lets go to bed.'

* * *

It was a little while later when the two of them were up in bed with Adelaide, their gazes fixed on her whilst she slumbered in the space between them and they watched her in silence. She was fast asleep with her pacifier still in her mouth and her curls fanned out over the bed-sheet, a faint blush in her cheeks as her hand framed her face and she snored quietly. 'She's so perfect.' John whispered.

'She is.' Anna agreed as she held their daughter's free hand in hers. ''I know that she's been with the two of us for two months now - nearly three - but I still can't believe she's ours. Sometimes I feel as though I'm going to wake up and all of this would have been another dream, but then she draws a picture for me or kisses me out of the blue and I know that it's real. I'm the luckiest woman living.'

'And I'm the luckiest man.' He reached over their sleeping daughter to stroke her hair. 'To have such a beautiful wife to spend the rest of my days with, a perfect little girl to protect and a little one on the way. Before I came to Downton, I never - not for the slightest second - imagined that something like this would happen to me, but, now that it has, I promise you that I'll never take it for granted.'

Anna felt tears pricking at her eyes as she smiled over at him. 'Me either, sweetheart.' She reassured him before she leaned over Adelaide and pressed her lips to his. Once she had laid back down, she drew the covers a little further over her daughter to ensure that she was warm. 'She hates knowing that she has to wait another six months to cradle her brother or sister, you know.' She said to John.

'I feel the same way.' He chuckled. 'You're not even showing yet and I'm already feeling impatient.'

She laughed in response. 'Doctor Clarkson said that I should start showing at around five months.'

'That's almost two months away.' He huffed with a slight whine in his voice.

'I'm sure you'll live.' She smirked before running a hand over her still-flat stomach.

He watched her in silence for a few seconds before asking: 'What do the movements feel like?'

'Little flutters.' She replied. 'Like the brush of a feather, but even softer than that in my opinion.'

'Your body is incredible.' He shook his head. 'It's going to create our baby.'

Happiness sparkled in her eyes. 'We're actually having a baby together, John. I still can't believe it.'

'Believe, my darling,' He stroked her face with the back of his hand, 'because all of this is real.'

'I love you.' She reached up to grasp his hand in hers before she turned it to kiss him on the palm.

'And I love you.' He whispered. 'So much.'

When Adelaide rolled over in her sleep and shuffled closer to her mother, Anna found it impossible not to smile. She released her husband's hand in order to wrap her arms around their little girl, her lips finding the top of her head when Adelaide hid her face in her chest before a huff of satisfaction escaped her. 'Goodnight, my lovely' She whispered into her hair whilst John switched his lamp off.

Once the room had been plunged into darkness, she snuggled further down beneath the covers with Adelaide before smiling when she felt John drape an arm over the two of them. She heard the soft smack of his lips when he pressed a kiss to the back of their daughter's head, the love and adoration that she possessed for him deepening when he left a kiss on her brow. 'My perfect girls.' He sighed.

'We're so blessed to have you.' She murmured into the darkness.

'I'm the one who's blessed.' He rested his hand on her waist through the covers. 'Get some sleep, love.'

'I am.' She reassured him as her eyes were closed and her nose was buried in Adelaide's hair.

'Goodnight, Anna.' He smiled.

She couldn't help but give him a secret smile of her own in return. 'Goodnight, John. Sweet dreams.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that! As I said at the start, I know that this chapter was a good deal shorter than the others I have done, but I hope you all liked it and that you'll leave me a review if you have the time! Thank you all for your continued support and I'll see you all in the next chapter :-)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoy! x**

* * *

It was a couple of days later when John was sat on a bench at the park whilst he watched his little girl run around on the grass, a gentle smile on his lips as his hands were clasped in his lap and his bad leg was stretched out in front of him. He revelled in the look of pure happiness that was on her face and the way that her curls bounced as she ran and tumbled and squealed in delight, his love for her growing deeper whenever she looked over at him and gave him a smile. She was his world.

It was rare that the two of them had afternoons out together without Anna; they much preferred it when she came along with them, but when she was tired and feeling unlike herself - like she was this day - she would tell them both to go and have some Daddy-daughter time. That was one order that neither one of them had trouble with accepting. Even though he loved it when they all went out together, he had to admit that he loved having some alone time with his little girl just as much.

The sound of Adelaide's giggles brought him back to the present after a couple of minutes before he smiled again as he watched her run up to him. 'I saw a squirrel, Daddy, I saw a squirrel!' She told him, the excitement evident in her eyes as she patted his knee and he chuckled as he placed a hand on the small of her back. 'It looked at me and then ran up there!' She pointed up at a tall oak tree, John removing his hand from her lower back in order to push one of her curls back beneath her ear.

'Can I sit on your knee, Daddy?' She asked whilst patting his knee again.

'Of course you can, sweet-pea.' He nodded before settling his hands on her waist and picking her up.

She laid her head on his chest once he had brought her to sit on his good knee and had wrapped his arms around her, his lips finding her crown as her little legs dangled between his and she let out a sigh of happiness. When she cuddled against his chest and grasped the fabric of his waistcoat in her hand, he felt his heart swell with love. To know that she looked to him for warmth, protection and comfort was one of his favourite things about being her father. The bond they shared was so strong.

'Addie,' He said after the two of them had sat together for a time, 'can I talk to you for a minute?'

'Yep.' She nodded as she tilted her head back against his chest.

He removed one of his arms from around her in order to caress her freckled cheek with the backs of his fingers. 'Starting next week, I'm not going to be at home as much as I am now.' He said gently.

'Why?' She asked with a tilt of her head.

He sighed. 'Because I have to go back to work at Downton.'

'Why do you have to go work?' She frowned. 'Why can't you stay with me and Mummy?'

'I have to go to work because when I work I earn money that Mummy can use to make dinner and other meals for us. I also earn money that I can use to get you new toys and Mummy new things.' He explained before running a hand over her curls and pressing his lips to her temple in a slow kiss.

Adelaide nodded. 'How long will you be gone?'

'Well, I have to leave for work when you and Mummy are still asleep and then I come back when Mummy is making dinner for us.' He told her, Adelaide's face falling a little as she looked at him.

'What about kisses?' She asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

He took her free hand in his before lifting it to his lips and leaving a kiss on the back of it. 'You and Mummy will still get kisses before I leave, I promise, and you'll get even more of them when I get home at night. I don't have to work all the time, darling, I do have some days off. On the days that I do have to work though, Mummy is going to play games and make cakes with you.' He smiled.

'Fairy cakes?' She raised her brow.

'I'm sure she'd make fairy cakes with you if you asked her.' He nodded, revelling in her sweet smile.

'I love you and Mummy, Daddy.' She told him.

He couldn't resist pressing another kiss onto her forehead. 'And we love you, sweetheart.'

A silence fell over the two of them then, Adelaide snuggling into him again before resting her head on his chest and listening to his heart. The silence ended when her stomach rumbled, however, she and her father laughing together as they glanced at one another. 'I'm hungry, Daddy.' She told him.

'Shall we start heading home then? So that I can get you something to eat?' He asked her, smiling.

'Yes please.' She replied.

John eased her off of his knee and back onto the floor before standing from the bench a few minutes later, his tender gaze fixed on Adelaide as the two of them began to walk. 'Daddy, can I hold your hand?' She asked when she lifted her gaze to him once the two of them had walked out of the park and were heading down the street together, John running his hand over her hair whilst he nodded.

'You don't have to ask, Addie.' He told her before offering her his hand and allowing her to slip her own into it, the two of them sharing a smile as he stroked her knuckles with the pad of his thumb.

It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive back at their cottage - ten minutes at the most - but before he opened the door and led Adelaide inside, he turned to her and lowered himself down to her level. 'I want you to be as quiet as possible when we go in, because Mummy might be asleep. Is that alright, darling?' He asked her as he looked into her eyes, his little girl smiling as she nodded.

'Is Mummy poorly like I was?' She cocked her head to one side.

'No, Addie, she's just very tired and not feeling herself today, so you need to be gentle with her and do as she asks.' He explained. 'If she asks you to pick up your toys when you're finished with them, I want you to do it right away because we don't want _her_ to clean them up and be even more tired, do we?' Adelaide shook her head in response, a chuckle escaping him as her beautiful curls bounced.

'That's my girl.' He brought his hand to her cheek before cupping it in his palm.

Once he had returned to his normal height he opened the front door before allowing his little girl to step inside first. He then entered the cottage after her before closing the door, removing his hat and overcoat and turning to her. 'Do you want me to help you take your coat off?' He asked her quietly.

'No, thank you, Daddy, I can do it.' She reassured him.

He stood with her whilst she took her coat off herself, pride living in his eyes as he watched her slip each of the buttons through their holes. It wasn't long before she had removed it and was giving it to him, an expression of love and pride for her on his face as he accepted it from her before hanging it up on the hook beside his.. 'You're getting so grown up, darling, I am so proud of you.' He smiled.

She giggled in response before looking over at the sitting room. 'Can I go and check if Mummy is in the sitting room?' She asked him when she looked at him again, her eyes sparkling with happiness as he nodded before she began to walk in the direction of the room. Her mother was lying down on the settee with her shawl wrapped around her shoulders when she walked into the room, a loving smile spreading across her lips as she began to make her way over to her. 'Hi, Mummy.' She sighed.

'Hello, beautiful.' Anna whispered with a smile of her own as her eyes were half-lidded.

'Did me and Daddy wake you up?' Adelaide asked when she sat down on the edge of the settee.

Anna shook her head before reaching up to ease one of her red curls out of her face. 'No, you didn't wake me up,' She reassured her, 'I was just having a lie down for a couple of minutes.' The two of them shared a smile as Adelaide looked at her. 'Would you like to come and have a cuddle?' Anna asked after a few moments had passed, Adelaide nodding before she laid herself down beside her.

She made sure not to get her shoes on the settee - not wanting to get dirt on it - as she snuggled into her mother, her eyes falling closed when her head found her shoulder and she felt her start to play with her curls. Anna buried a lingering kiss into her hair once a few silent seconds had passed them by, her gaze moving to the doorway when she heard the sound of footsteps.' Hello.' She whispered.

'Hello.' John replied with a smile as he walked further into the room. 'How are you feeling?'

'A little better.' She admitted. 'I went up for a nap when the two of you left to go to the park and it helped quite a lot.' She watched him walk over to her before tilting her head back on the armrest when he leaned down to kiss her lips. 'Do you want a cup of tea?' She asked when their kiss ended.

'I'll make it.' He stroked her face with the back of his hand. 'I'm making Addie a snack, anyway.'

She hummed in reply before gazing down at Adelaide again. 'Are you hungry, Addie?'

'Yes, Mummy.' The four-year-old admitted. 'My stomach keeps making loud growling noises!'

Anna giggled before drawing her little girl closer. 'What would you like to eat?' She asked her.

Adelaide thought for a moment before smiling. 'Can I have a sandwich?'

'Can she have a sandwich?' Anna asked when she lifted her gaze back to her husband.

'Whatever the princess wants, the princess gets.' John smirked before kissing them on their crowns.

'No crusts, Daddy!' Adelaide called when he began to walk out of the room.

He couldn't help but chuckle. 'Yes, your highness.' He teased, causing both of his girls to giggle.

'Would you like to have a Mummy-daughter day next week?' Anna asked her little girl when the two of them were alone once John had walked out of the room, Adelaide's eyes lighting up at her suggestion before she nodded. 'We could have some lunch at a cafe and then we could go and have a look in some shops for some dresses. We could also get some things for the baby, if you want to.'

'I want to, Mummy, I want to!' Adelaide beamed.

Anna pressed her lips to her brow in a simple kiss. 'Alright, then.' She smiled.

It would be the first Mummy-daughter day that the two of them had had since she and John had brought Adelaide home from the adoption centre and she knew that she was going to enjoy it. She loved spending time with her little girl and she knew that an entire afternoon with her could never be boring.

It was going to be so perfect.

* * *

Anna released a sigh of happiness into Adelaide's curls when she was curled up on the settee with her a few hours later, her little girl sound asleep in her lap as her head was resting on her breast and she was grasping the fabric of her dress in her hand. When she tightened her hold of her and leaned back against one of the cushions on the settee, she stroked her cheek with the backs of her fingers and gazed into her face. There weren't words to describe just how perfect her little girl was.

She loved the freckles that were peppered over the bridge of her nose and the apples of her cheeks. Whenever she laid with her as she drifted off at night she would attempt to count each of them, but would always lose count before she managed to do so. Another thing that she loved about her was how small she was. She was smaller than other girls her age - she and John could cradle her in their arms as simply as they would a newborn baby - and she thought that that was so lovely.

Adelaide stirred in her arms with a quiet whimper a few minutes later and snuggled further into her chest before slipping her thumb into her mouth, a huff of contentment escaping her once she had settled down again. Anna ran her fingers through her curls once she was certain that she had nodded off, a smile on her features when she pressed a warm kiss onto the centre of her forehead. 'I love you.' She murmured against her skin before drawing back and snugging her slightly closer.

She was sad to have missed out on spending time with her and John at the playground earlier on, especially since John had to go back to work in just under a week, but she had known that if she had forced herself to join them she would have had to pretend that she was enjoying herself. Ever since her assault two years ago she had suffered from low days every now and again and when she had woken up, it had been made clear to her that today was going to be one of her low days.

As John had suggested before he had left to take their daughter to the playground, she had had a long soak in the bath before painting her nails to cheer herself up a bit. She had then made a cup of tea for herself before adding the last few stitches to the new dress that she had been making for Adelaide, and then she and John had come home from the playground not too long after she had laid down on the settee. Seeing the smile on her beautiful little girl's lips had cheered her right up.

She glanced up from Adelaide when the sound of footsteps reached her ears and her heart swelled as she watched John enter the sitting room with two teacups and saucers. She thanked him as he set her teacup down on the table beside her before moving to sit in the space next to her and their daughter, the two of them smiling as they watched Adelaide slumber in her hold. 'I thought she looked exhausted.' He chortled before reaching out to give Adelaide's cheek a stroke with his hand.

'All of that running around in the park and the garden must have worn her out.' Anna said with a giggle in her voice before she felt him lace one of his arms around her waist and pull her close.

'How are you feeling?' He asked once she had placed her head on his shoulder and he was able to look into her eyes, his lips finding her forehead whilst he massaged her waist through her dress. 'Better than you did this morning?' When she nodded he felt a surge of relief course through him. 'I suppose having a few hours to yourself after the last couple of months helped.' He said gently.

'It was quite nice, I'll admit that,' She smiled up at him, 'but I missed you both.'

'We missed you too.' He told her. 'Addie made me swear that you'll come with us next time so she can show you the fishes.' The sound of his wife giggling made his heart swell with love for her.

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes after that, Adelaide's sweet snores the only sound to be heard before John turned to Anna and said: 'Why don't you pass her here so that I can hold her whilst you drink your tea?' He raised his brow at her, Anna humming in response before she sat up beside him and started to ease Adelaide out of her lap and into his.

She made a light sound of protest at the loss of her warmth, but snuggled into her father's chest in an instant when he kissed the crown of her head and started to run his fingers through her curls. 'It's strange, isn't it, to think that there was a time when she wasn't around?' He shook his head in slight disbelief as he held Adelaide close and watched her snooze with her head on his chest and her fingers curled into his shirt, Anna shuffling closer to the two of them as she let out a soft sigh.

'It is.' She agreed. 'I can't imagine life without her in it anymore.'

She could still remember how she had known that their little girl was the only one for her as soon as she had clapped eyes on her. Once she had spotted her in the arms of the social worker, it had been as though the numerous other children that had been in the room with her had disappeared. It had hurt her, of course, to know that there were so many children who had been orphaned or had been put up for adoption due to abuse of some type, but she'd only had eyes for her little girl.

The memories of going to the adoption centre to visit Adelaide on their half-days whilst they had been waiting for everything to be finalised; the memories of her running down the corridor and giggling "Mummy" and "Daddy" with wide eyes still made her smile despite the fact that she had been Adelaide's mother for three months now. She couldn't quite put into words how blessed she felt to have the title of her little girl's mother. She adored Adelaide with her whole heart and soul.

'Would you like me to give her her bath and get her tucked into bed tonight?' The sound of John's voice brought her out of her thoughts after a time before she tilted her head back on his shoulder.

'You did it last night.' She replied whilst stroking his chest. 'I don't want you to wear yourself out.'

He offered her a smile. 'I won't wear myself out.'

'If you wouldn't mind doing that for me, I would be grateful.' She admitted.

He lowered his head to brush her lips with his own, the two of them parting with a smack after a few seconds before she snuggled against him and took a sip of her tea. When she let out a giggle and laid her hand on her stomach through her dress after a time, he lifted his gaze from Adelaide and smiled. 'Moving again?' He asked, Anna nodding whilst she ran her hand over her stomach.

'I think that's the third flutter I've felt since you took Addie out earlier.' She looked at her stomach. 'I'm beginning to thicken up a little now and it's _not_ because I've been craving bourbon biscuits.'

The two of them chuckled together.

He brushed his thumb against her hip through her dress as he held her close before placing a long kiss on her forehead. 'I love you so much; you know that, don't you?' He sighed against her skin.

'Of course I do. I love you too.' She snuggled further into his warmth. 'More than you know.'

* * *

After closing Adelaide's _Winnie the Pooh_ book and placing it on the bedside table after reading her another chapter that night, John pressed a kiss to the top of her head before she lifted her head off of his chest and allowed him to unwind his arm from around her. He then rose from her bed so that she could lie herself down, a smile spreading across his face as she nuzzled sleepily into her pillow.

'Daddy?' She whispered as she looked up at him. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Of course you can, darling.' He replied as he sat back down on her bed. 'You can ask me anything.'

'When I'm a big girl, like Mummy is, what will I be?' She asked him whilst he stroked her curls.

'What will your job be, do you mean?' He raised his brow before smiling when she nodded at him. 'Your job will be whatever you want it to be, sweet pea, you get to make that decision.' He said.

Adelaide thought in silence for a few seconds. 'Did you and Mummy want to be servants?'

'Well, we had different jobs before we became servants.' He told her. 'When Mummy was younger and she lived with her parents, she helped her grandmother to take care of the animals that were on her farm. When I was younger, I left home and became a soldier. The two of us decided that we wanted to be servants in the end though, and that's how we met.' He stroked her face soothingly.

She smiled up at him with half-lidded eyes. 'Can I be a nurse when I grow up? Sybbie told me that her Mummy was a nurse before she died and that she took care of poorly people.' She said to him.

'Yes, she did.' He drew the covers further over her. 'If you want to be a nurse when you're older, my love, you can be a nurse. You have to listen carefully when you go to school though, because you have to be very smart to be a nurse.' Adelaide hummed as she snuggled further beneath her covers. 'It's time for you to try to get some sleep now. You're going to be so sleepy tomorrow if you don't.'

She allowed him to tuck her teddy bear into bed beside her then before puckering her lips when he leaned down to give her a goodnight kiss. He gave her nose a little graze with his before drawing back from her, the two of them sharing a smile when he brushed a fiery curl back beneath her ear.

'Night night, beautiful.' He sighed as he gazed down at her and caressed her face with his fingers.

'Night night, Daddy.' She smiled. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' He reassured her before rising from the edge of her bed.

He then walked over to the other side of her bedroom and switched off the light before looking over at her once more and stepping out of the bedroom. He left the door open a crack so that some light could still enter the room before going down the landing to the bedroom that he shared with Anna.

When he walked into the room his lips curled up into a smile as he looked over at the bed and saw that his wife had drifted off whilst reading. She was lying on her back atop the covers, her poetry book resting on her stomach as her hand framed her face and she let out gentle snores. Once he had closed the door behind himself, he walked over to where she was lying and lifted the book off her stomach before folding the corner of the page that she'd read to and putting it on the bedside table.

He then turned back to her before lifting her legs off of the quilt, pulling the quilt out from beneath her, placing her legs back down on the mattress and covering her with the quilt. She stirred for a few seconds at the movement before he shushed her and ran his hand over her hair, a sigh of relief escaping him when she settled back into slumber and turned onto her side. She was so beautiful.

Once he was certain that she was sleeping well he got up from the edge of their marital bed before walking around to his own side, pulling the quilt back and climbing into bed behind her. He then picked up his alarm clock and wound it up before placing it back down, turning down the oil lamp and lying down behind Anna. 'John?' She murmured quietly when he drew her into his embrace.

'I'm here, darling.' He kissed the base of her neck a number of times. 'You go back to sleep.'

She took his hand, which was resting on her stomach through her nightgown, before entwining her fingers with his and sweeping her thumb across his knuckles. She then turned over in his embrace somewhat in order to share a delicious kiss with him, the two of them squeezing one another's hand before she settled in his arms and shuffled back against him. 'Goodnight, John.' She sighed quietly.

'Goodnight, Anna.' He whispered into her ear. 'Sleep well.'

The two of them then tightened their hold on one another's hand before snuggling down under the covers and allowing the sound of each other's soft breathing to lull them into a pleasant slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter! I hope that you all enjoyed and please review :D See you all next time! x**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: I finally managed to update this fic! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter and happy reading :)**

* * *

'I wish you would give yourself five minutes to sit down.' Anna stopped running the rag over the kitchen counter for a moment when she felt John's hands on her hips from behind and his voice in her ear, her eyes falling closed when he pressed his lips to the side of her head and pulled her against his chest. 'You're going to make yourself ill.'

'I haven't got time to sit down.' She sighed as his arms snaked around her middle and she continued to clean the counter. 'Mum's train arrives at the station in two hours and - if I'm honest - I'd rather not give her any reason to believe that I'm incapable of keeping the place tidy.' She felt John brush his lips slowly against her shoulder.

Yesterday morning she had received a telegram from her mum and had found out that she had invited herself to stay with them for the next three days so that she could get to know Adelaide and vice-versa. John had suggested that she telephoned her and said that they were too busy to have her stay with them, but it had been too late.

At the end of the telegram it'd read: " _By the time you read this I'll be on the train."_

She loved her mother, of course she did, but - even though it had been several years - she had never quite forgiven her for all of the times she had paddled her for "lying" about her stepfather touching her. She had stayed with her and John before - a few months after he'd left prison - and the entire weekend had been...well...just awful.

She had made it quite clear that she wasn't too fond of John.

She hadn't been able to understand why she had chosen to marry someone who would just slow her down because of her limp. She hadn't been able to understand why she loved someone as "dangerous" as him. When she and her mother had gone for a short walk the last time she had come over, she had begged her to be careful around him.

She wasn't ashamed to say that she had lost her temper with her mother at that.

John would never hurt her and it had infuriated her to know that her mother felt that he would. She had never lost her temper with her mother before that, but she didn't feel guilty about it. Just like she wouldn't feel guilty about losing her temper with her or asking her to go home if she dared to suggest such a thing to or around Adelaide.

Her little girl _adored_ her father and she wouldn't allow her mum to change that.

When she felt John move her hair out of the way of her neck and cover the warm skin with his lips a short while later she came out of her thoughts, her breath hitching in her throat as she tilted her head to one side on instinct and offered more of her neck to his mouth. She had always adored the sensation of his lips shifting over her neck.

She allowed him to brush tender open-mouthed kisses over her neck for a few minutes before she set the rag down on the kitchen counter and reached back with her hand so that she could thread her fingers through his hair, a smile spreading across her lips when he murmured in delight against her skin as she held him in place against her.

'I should tell you to get out of my kitchen…' She breathed when his hand sought out her stomach and he drew her further back against him, 'you're such a distraction…'

'Mmm…' He smirked against her before pulling his lips off of her neck and turning her to face him so that she was trapped between him and the kitchen counter, 'but you won't.' He lowered his head to brush a slow kiss against her lips as he took her waist in his hands and pulled her flush against him, her quiet whimper warming his heart.

'No,' She breathed between kisses, 'I won't.'

After pressing her lips back to his she rose up onto her tiptoes to better the angle of their mouths and wrapped her arms around his neck, John swallowing the giggle that she released when he lifted her to sit on the counter. She then laced her legs around his waist before running her fingers through his hair whilst they kissed passionately.

The two of them remained in their passionate embrace for several minutes before the sound of the stairs creaking warned them that Adelaide was coming down and they brought their kiss to an end. 'We'll continue this later.' John stroked a blonde lock of Anna's hair back beneath her ear before leaning in to steal one last kiss from her.

He then eased her legs from around his waist before helping her off of the counter, a chuckle leaving him when her legs threatened to buckle beneath her and she had to lean against the counter. 'This is your fault.' She breathed with a slight smirk before Adelaide walked into the kitchen and she turned to her. 'Hello, darling.' She smiled.

'I'm bored of playing with my dolls now, Mummy,' The four-year-old admitted as she wrapped her arms around her legs after walking over to her and her father, 'will you come and play with me?' Anna reached down to run her hand over her gorgeous curls.

She still had so much to do, but she knew that she would be unable to refuse her.

'You go.' She looked up at John when he stroked her arm. 'I'll finish up in here.'

'Are you sure?' She raised her brow at him.

He nodded. 'I'm positive. You've done enough this morning.'

'Thank you.' She smiled.

She then rose up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips before removing Adelaide's arms from around her legs, taking one of her hands and leaving the kitchen with her.

John shook his head in slight disbelief that those beautiful girls were his.

He was so privileged to be able to call them both his and to have the responsibility of loving and taking care of them for the rest of his life. They meant more to him than anything else on the earth and he was determined to tell them that every single day.

Without fail.

* * *

It was later that morning when Anna was sat on one of the benches outside the train station whilst she waited for her mother to come out, her hands resting in her lap as she watched Adelaide snooze in her pram and smiled at how beautiful she was. It was rare that she used her pram now, but it was rather a long walk from their cottage to the train station and the last thing she had wanted was for her legs to start hurting.

She pulled the blanket that was covering Adelaide a little further around her when the wind picked up a little, soft shushes escaping her as she stroked her cheek when she started to stir. It took seconds for her to settle back into slumber again and once she had, Anna began to push the pram back and forth whilst leaning back on the bench. She was still feeling anxious about the next few days with her mother at the cottage.

The cottage was spotless and their dinner for that night was already prepped, but she knew that her mother would end up picking at her for something during her visit. She had never been completely satisfied with anything she'd done. Not even when she had been seven and practically raising her little sister because she had been too sick to. She knew that John would fight her corner if he had to though, which comforted her.

After sitting in silence for a couple more minutes she allowed a small smile to form on her lips when she saw her mother walking down the train station steps. She released a sigh as she rose from the bench when her mother started to approach her, her eyes fluttering closed when she reached her and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

'Hello, my darling.' Ellen smiled after drawing back from her daughter.

'Hello, mum.' Anna replied. 'How was the journey?'

'Long.' Ellen admitted before turning to the pram beside them. 'Is this Adelaide?'

Anna nodded as she gazed down at her little girl. 'It is.'

'She's beautiful.' Ellen reached into the pushchair to stroke her granddaughter's cheek with the back of her index finger, the four-year-old sighing in her sleep at her touch. 'I just don't understand how her parents could put her up for adoption.' She admitted.

'There's far more to it than that, mum.' Anna shook her head.

Ellen turned back to her daughter. 'Like what?'

'John and I don't speak of it anymore and so I'd rather not say, but there's more to it than her parents simply putting her up for adoption.' Anna said as she looked at her.

'How is John with her?' Ellen asked.

Anna stiffened. 'What do you mean by that?'

'What I said.' Ellen shrugged. 'How is he with her?'

'He's incredible.' Anna told her. 'He loves the bones of her and she adores him.'

Ellen nodded. 'What does Adelaide think of you having a baby?'

'She's excited to be a big sister.' Anna smiled. 'She can't wait until I have a bump.'

'You do know that she might feel a little...left out…for a while, don't you?' Ellen said with a raise of her brow whilst resting a hand on Anna's shoulder through her coat.

Anna shook her head. 'John and I have already promised her that nothing will change and that we're still going to have time for her when the baby comes. She understands that we're going to be a lot busier once I've given birth, but we're not going to just forget that she exists.'

Sensing that there was some tension between herself and her daughter, Ellen released a sigh and took her hand off of her shoulder. 'Well, there's no point in the two of us standing here all morning. Why don't we start walking?' She suggested, she and Anna sharing a simple smile when she nodded in response and turned to Adelaide's pram.

'I won't try and take over this time,' Ellen told her, 'you won't even know I'm there.'

Even though she giggled in response and smiled when her mother pressed a kiss onto the side of her head whilst they walked, something told Anna that that wasn't true.

Something told her that it was going to be a _long_ three days.

* * *

She sighed and brushed her hair away from her face when John wound an arm around her and brought her close in the aftermath of their lovemaking a few hours later, a smile of bliss curling her lips as she laid her head on his damp shoulder and slung an arm over his stomach before tangling one of her legs with his underneath the quilt.

As she settled in his embrace she revelled in the warmth of his skin against hers and tilted her head back on his shoulder to kiss the underside of his jaw, her eyes falling closed when she snuggled into him. This was the first time that she had been able to be alone with him since she and her mother and Adelaide had reached their cottage.

She had put Adelaide down for a nap a little over an hour ago because she had been in a foul mood due to waking up all through the previous evening and then, not that long after, her mum had gone upstairs for a nap also because the journey had worn her out. She and John had both released a sigh of relief when she had shut her bedroom door.

The two of them had snuggled on the settee for a while, laughing together and talking about nothing of importance, but then snuggling had escalated into kissing until the two of them had left the settee and come up to their room. All in all, she couldn't deny, it had been rather a pleasant afternoon thus far.

She laid in her husband's arms in silence for a few minutes longer before turning onto her front against his chest and smiling down at him when he reached up to sweep a blonde curl back behind her ear. 'You're so gorgeous.' He whispered as he ran his hand down her spine before resting it on the small of her back, her cheeks burning softly.

'How come you can call _me_ that, but you sigh whenever I call _you_ that?' She inquired.

'Because, my darling, when I say it it's true.' He brushed his thumb against her skin.

'Is it so hard to believe that I find you gorgeous?' She raised her brow at him.

'Yes.' He nodded with a chuckle.

She sighed as she brought her hand to her face and brushed her fingertips against the scar at the side of his eye. The scar from the cut that he had gotten when Vera had thrown a teacup at him years ago. 'Well, I do.' She met his gaze for a moment before leaning down to press her lips against his in a sweet kiss. 'I love you so much, John.'

'I love you too.' He reassured her before she laid down in the space next to him again. 'Why don't you try to get some rest? You were up half the night fretting about your mother and throwing up, Anna, and you're going to be worn out later if you don't.' He played with the blonde curls that hung down her back as she snuggled against him.

'I think I might,' She admitted with a nod, 'if you don't mind.'

He turned his head in her direction to kiss her on the forehead. 'Of course I don't. If I minded I wouldn't have suggested it, now would I?' He tightened his arm around her.

'No, I don't suppose you would.' She giggled as she looked into his eyes. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' He stroked her hip with his fingers.

'Will you wake me at six at the latest so that I can start getting dinner sorted?' She asked him after burying her face in the side of his neck and sighing in contentment.

'I will.' He reassured her.

She pressed her lips to the side of his neck in a silent thanks before draping her arm over his stomach, relaxing in his embrace and allowing herself to drift off to sleep.

* * *

'All right, sweet-pea, it's bedtime.' It was around eight o'clock that night when Anna walked into the sitting room where John and her mother were sitting with Adelaide, her mother's brow creasing a little as she held Adelaide close and a book in her hand.

'Eight is a little early for her to go to bed, darling, don't you think?' Ellen asked her.

Anna looked at John for a moment before turning back to her mother and sighing. 'No, Mum, I don't. Her bedtime has always been eight at the latest since we adopted her.'

'When you and your sister were young, you both went to bed at nine.' Ellen reminded her as she massaged Adelaide's waist.

'Mum, with all due respect, just because that was your way of parenting doesn't mean that it's ours. She's our daughter and we know what's best for her.' She tried her best to remain calm. 'Now, Addie, it's time to go to bed, sweetheart.' She said to her.

Adelaide shook her head whilst cuddling up to Ellen which took her by surprise for a moment. 'Too early for bed, Mummy.' She replied.

Able to sense that Anna was just about ready to give up, John let out a sigh and looked over at their daughter. 'Addie, darling, be a good girl for Mummy and do as she says, please.' He told her.

When she realised that he was using his firm voice she moved out of her grandmother's arms. 'Night-night, Nanny.' She smiled.

'Night-night, Addie.' Ellen ran a hand over her curls.

Adelaide then slipped off of the settee before walking over to her father and allowing him to wrap his arms around her. She buried her face in the side of his neck whilst he ran his fingers through her curls before drawing back to press her lips against his own.

'I'll see you in the morning, all right?' He raised his brow.

'All right, Daddy.' She nodded. 'I love you.'

'I love you too, princess.' He reassured her before she turned on her heel and walked over to her mother, the two of them sharing a smile when she reached her and reached up to take her hand.

'I shouldn't be too long.' Anna smiled at her husband.

And, with that, she led Adelaide out of the room and up the stairs to bed.

* * *

'Mummy?' Adelaide said as Anna tucked her into bed a little while later.

'Yes?' Anna raised her brow at her when she perched herself on the edge of the bed and brought her _Winnie the Pooh_ book into her lap and opened it to the right page.

'Are you mad at me?' Adelaide asked with a nervous expression on her face.

Anna sighed as she looked into her eyes for a few seconds before reaching out to rest her hand on the curve of her cheek, her lips curling up into a smile when she stroked her thumb against her skin. 'No, my lovely, I'm not mad at you.' She reassured her. 'I _am_ a little upset that you told me no when I said it was bedtime, but I'm not mad.'

'But Nanny said that it was too early for bedtime.' Adelaide reminded her, confused.

'I know she did,' Anna shifted closer to her on the bed, 'but I'm your Mummy and you need to listen to me when I tell you to do something, even if Nanny says otherwise.'

Adelaide nodded in response. 'I'm sorry I made you sad.'

'I know you are, sweet-pea, and I forgive you.' Anna smiled. 'Now, why don't we have a cuddle and read some more of your book?' She suggested, her heart swelling with love for her when her eyes lit up and she pulled back the quilt so she could climb into bed.

It didn't take long for the two of them to get comfortable together, Anna winding one arm around her little girl's waist whilst she held her storybook in her spare hand and let her snuggle up to her. 'You're the best Mummy ever, Mummy.' Adelaide said to her.

'Thank you, Addie.' Anna pressed her lips to her brow. 'You're the best _little girl_ ever.'

The two of them giggled when she gave her nose a nuzzle with her own, Adelaide lying her head on her chest and draping her arm over her stomach when she turned to the book again. Just before she began to read the next chapter, Anna lowered her gaze to her little girl and sighed as she drew her a bit closer and kissed the top of her head.

She was so, _so_ blessed to have such a wonderful daughter.

And she would never forget that.

* * *

'I know that she's my mother and I know that I'm supposed to be pleased that she's here, but I honestly can't wait for her to go home.' John looked up from his book at the sound of his wife's voice when she entered their bedroom after finishing up in the bathroom later that night, a sigh leaving him as he could see how irritated she was.

'I mean,' She closed their bedroom door after her, 'I can't believe she actually tried to undermine me. In front of Addie no less! When I went downstairs for a cloth she told me that she was just trying to help, but if that was her idea of helping then I'd hate to find out what her idea of doing harm is.' She sat down on the stool at her vanity.

When she felt her head start to ache she pressed her fingers to her temple and closed her eyes, but when she felt her husband's hands come to rest on her shoulders they flickered open and she looked at him through the mirror. 'Come to bed,' He told her as he massaged her shoulders to relieve the tension in them, 'and try to relax a little.'

She offered him a smile before he held his hand out to her and she took it in her own so that he could help her up from the stool, his lips pressing a warm kiss to the side of her head before he began to lead her over to their bed. It didn't take long for them to slide into bed and lie down together, Anna sighing as he wrapped her in his arms.

'You don't think that I'm overreacting, do you?' She asked when she looked up at him.

'No, darling, I don't think you're overreacting at all.' He shook his head. 'It wasn't her place to say that and you did the right thing by putting her back in her place earlier.'

She nodded with a sigh of relief. 'I do love her, but she's just…'

'Overbearing?' He finished for her.

'Precisely.' She said. 'She told me earlier that we wouldn't even know she was here.'

'Well, maybe now that you've put her in her place she'll settle a bit.' He supposed.

She hummed. 'Maybe.'

'I don't want you getting yourself all worked up.' He kissed the top of her head when she laid it on his chest and hooked her leg over his hip beneath the quilt. 'Stress is bad for both you and our baby and I don't want anything to happen to either of you.'

She reached up to stroke his cheek with the back of her forefinger. 'I know you don't.'

The two of them shared a smile before she pushed herself up on his chest to press a few soft kisses onto his lips, her fingers burying themselves in the thatch of hair on his chest when she settled down again. 'I'm so lucky to have a husband like you, you know. You're so different to other men I know and I adore you for that.' She sighed.

'I'm just as lucky to have such an incredible wife.' He replied whilst stroking her hair. 'We should get some rest. Who knows what time Adelaide will wake us up tomorrow?'

Anna couldn't help but giggle as she snuggled closer to him whilst he switched off the lamp on his bedside table, her eyes drifting closed when he pressed one more kiss to her hairline and wrapped his arms back around her. 'Goodnight, John.' She said to him.

'Goodnight, my love.' He murmured before settling down with her. 'Pleasant dreams…'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading chapter 18. I cannot believe that this fic has come so far and I'm so pleased with the response it has gotten. I'm so grateful to you all for reading and reviewing this fan-fiction! I would love it if you would leave a review to let me know what you thought of this chapter and I'll see you all next time :-) x**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: A bit of a shorter chapter this time, I know, but I promise you that the next chapter will be longer! Please enjoy and happy reading :) x**

* * *

'What on earth are you doing up at this hour?' Anna lifted her gaze from the pattern on the rug to the doorway of the sitting room when the sound of her mother's voice reached her ears a short time after midnight, a tender smile appearing on her lips as she met her gaze and watched as she stepped inside the room and approached her.

'Morning sickness woke me and then I couldn't fall back to sleep afterwards. I didn't want to wake John up with all of the tossing and turning that I was doing and so I came down to see if drinking some tea would make me tired. It didn't.' She told her, her mother lacing an arm around her middle once she had joined her on the settee.

'I remember having awful morning sickness when I was expecting you.' Ellen gave her waist a stroke through her nightgown after kissing her on the side of the head. It's not pleasant, I know, but I swear that it doesn't last forever.' Anna turned her head in her direction and looked into her eyes for a second before shuffling closer to her.

She laid her head on her shoulder once she was able to lean against her, a quiet sigh escaping her as her eyes fell shut and she nuzzled her neck. 'Mum?' She murmured after a time, Ellen humming in reply as she held her close and ran the fingers of her spare hand through her hair. 'If I hurt your feelings earlier on, I'm sorry.' She said.

'Don't apologise to me, darling,' Ellen soothed, 'I was wrong to interfere, I know that.'

After lifting her head off of her shoulder and looking into her eyes again, Anna sighed and took the hand that wasn't resting on her waist in her own. 'I didn't appreciate you telling me what time Addie should be put to bed, but I shouldn't have been sharp with you before I went up to bed. It's just that I…' She glanced down into her lap.

She felt her Mum take her chin on her finger a few moments later and allowed her to lift her gaze back to hers. 'You…?' Ellen caressed her sharp jawline with her thumb.

'I don't want to say it.' She whimpered with tears in her eyes.

'Is it about...what happened...back at home?' Ellen raised her brow.

Anna could only nod in response as she fought to keep her tears back.

'I want you to tell me.' Ellen whispered. 'I want you to be able to tell me anything.'

'All right.' Anna replied. 'I...I know that it's been decades and I know that you realise that I was telling you the truth about the things that he was doing to me, but...but I've struggled to forgive you for not listening to me in the first place. I've struggled to forgive you for putting your marriage before me.' A tear left her eye as she sniffled.

'Do you remember how you used to paddle me because you thought that I was lying?' She asked her, Ellen nodding whilst she swallowed the tears that were rising in her throat. 'I didn't cry because the paddling hurt, I cried because you didn't believe me. I had no-one to go to about it and that was what hurt the most.' She said to her.

Both of them had tears rolling down their cheeks at this point and after wiping hers off of her cheeks with the back of her hand, Anna took a deep breath in the hope that it would help her to compose herself. 'When you made him lie to the watchman and say that he had slipped after I cut him, I thought you would make him leave.'

'But I didn't…' Ellen breathed through her tears as she held her hand in hers.

'No, you didn't.' Anna shook her head. 'I think...I think it was that that prompted me to turn against you. The fact that you still let him live at home with you and Alice whilst I went to live with total strangers and become a tweeny because I couldn't do anything without him staring at me. I still can't believe you did it, in all honesty.'

Ellen sighed. 'If I had made him leave, he would have taken all the money with him.'

'But it didn't matter that he had taken my childhood off of me?' She frowned.

'My darling, I hated him for that until the day he died!' Ellen sobbed.

'And yet you still slept next to him every evening.' Anna choked out. 'You still kissed him and...and made love with him and...and you probably told him that you loved him every chance that you got.'

Ellen looked away from her for a second. 'He was still my husband, Anna.'

'Well, he was nothing but a monster to me.' Anna all but spat. 'Most children I know _dream_ about monsters, but I had a real one sleeping in the room right beside mine.'

Her daughter's words caused Ellen to feel physical pain in her chest.

'You always said that you wanted me to feel safe at home, but how could I feel safe when I was always terrified that he would tell me to go and sit next to him? When every time I heard him coming up the stairs I froze in bed and prayed that he didn't come in?' The tears rolled faster down her cheeks when she looked at her mother.

She let out a trembling sigh and sucked on her lower lip as her mother reached up to wipe the tears off of her cheeks with the palm of her hand. 'Oh, sweetheart,' Ellen choked out whilst stroking several strands of hair back beneath Anna's ear, 'I am so, _so_ sorry…' She leaned forward to brush several delicate kisses against her forehead.

'I didn't trust men again for years after that.' Anna admitted after snuggling against her. 'Whenever one of the hallboys or another servant brushed against me I froze up and felt like I was going to be sick. It was only when I moved to Downton to serve as a housemaid that I began to actually trust men again.' She told her in a soft voice.

When she tilted her head back on her shoulder to look into her eyes again, she sighed as she stroked her damp cheek with the backs of her fingers. 'I know that you don't like John. I know that you view him as weak and as a threat to Addie and I, but he's not. He means the world to me, Mum, and he's so gentle and patient with us both.'

'He's not the husband that I wanted for you.' Ellen replied as she stroked her back.

'That might be true, but he's the man I fell in love with and the man that I married and fought to free from prison. He didn't give up on me when I was horrible to him and shut him out after I was raped. He got me out of prison after I was arrested for Mr. Green's murder and it was him who suggested that we adopt.' She said to her.

Ellen sighed and looked at her in silence for a time. 'You really adore him, don't you?'

'I do.' Anna whispered. 'He's so different to other men, Mum, he helps me around the cottage and he's never forced my wifely duties from me. Addie practically worships the ground he walks on and I love watching the two of them together. He lets her get away with so much because of how much he loves her.' She gave her a warm smile.

Ellen lifted her spare hand up to stroke her hair. 'Maybe I need to give him a chance.'

'We were thinking of taking Addie to Mr. Mason's farm after we've had lunch so that she can look at the animals and we can have a picnic in one of the fields. You could come with us if you would like to. You'll be able to see how good John is with her and you'll also be able to do a little more bonding with her.' She snuggled closer to her.

'I think I will.' Ellen said before bringing her hand to her cheek. 'I love you so much.'

'I love you too.' She reassured her before yawning and lifting her hand to her mouth.

After giggling, Ellen kissed her on the temple. 'I think it's time for bed.' She smiled.

'I think you're right.' Anna replied with her own smile before they left the settee.

Before walking out of the sitting room, however, Anna stepped closer to her Mum and caught her in a tender embrace. Her eyes fell closed and she sighed in satisfaction as her mother stroked her hair and held her close with the hand on her lower back, the two of them parting after a little while before Ellen stroked her cheek affectionately.

'My beautiful girl.' She shook her head. 'I am _so_ proud of you.'

'Thank you.' Anna took her hand in her own and gave it a squeeze.

Once they had looked at one another for a few seconds they turned around and made their way out of the sitting room, Anna stopping for a moment to turn off the light before she smiled to herself and walked down the hall so that she could go upstairs.

* * *

'Goodnight, darling.' Ellen smiled as she opened the door to the guest bedroom.

'Goodnight, Mum.' Anna smiled back before watching her mother step inside the room and close the door behind her. Instead of going into her own room after that though, she turned and walked down the landing towards her daughter's bedroom. She pushed the door open as carefully as she could, relieved when it didn't squeak, and entered.

Once she was inside she walked over to Adelaide's bed and felt a surge of love for her course through her veins when her gaze fell on her. Her little girl was fast asleep on her stomach, her curls splayed out over her pillowcase whilst she held her teddy close to her and snored into its fur. She always looked so gorgeous when she was resting.

She watched her sleep for a few more seconds before lowering herself down to perch on the edge of her bed, her lips curling up into a smile as she watched a single curl fall into her face. She reached out to brush it back beneath her ear with her fingers, Adelaide stirring at her touch as she did so. 'Mummy…?' The four-year-old whined.

'I'm here, sweetheart…' She soothed, 'go back to sleep.'

Her eyes sparkled with adoration for her little girl when she turned onto her back and puckered her lips. Knowing that she would never be able to refuse her anything, she leaned down and pressed her lips to hers in a slow kiss. 'I love you.' She whispered to her when she brushed her nose against her own, Adelaide sighing with satisfaction.

'I love you too, Mummy.' Adelaide reassured her. 'I'm going to go back to sleep now.'

'Okay, precious.' Anna giggled before her little girl turned onto her side. 'Night-night.'

'Night-night.' Adelaide echoed just moments before slumber claimed her once again.

Anna stayed with her for quite some time once she had gone back to sleep, but when the sound of the bedroom door opening reached her ears she turned her head. A soft smile graced her features when her gaze met with John's and she watched him enter the dark room, a sigh escaping her when he reached the bed and caressed her face.

'What are you doing up?' He asked her.

'I woke up because of morning sickness and then I kept on tossing and turning when I came back to bed. I didn't want to wake you up.' She admitted whilst looking up at him, her heart swelling when he shook his head good-naturedly at her with a chuckle.

'Daft beggar.' He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. 'Come back to bed.'

'All right.' She nodded.

After taking one last look at Adelaide she took the hand that he offered her and let him help her up from the bed, her other hand coming to rest on his chest once she was standing in front of him. 'What is it?' He inquired as he raised his brow at her.

'Nothing...I just…' She shook her head.

'You just…?' He swept his thumb across the knuckles of the hand held in his own.

Choosing not to answer him with words, she released his hand and wound both arms around his middle before pressing her face into his chest. As she held him close to her she rubbed her nose against the coarse hair that she discovered, a blissful smile forming on her lips when she felt him run a hand over her hair and kiss her crown.

'I love you more than anything else in the world.' She pressed her lips to his chest. 'I don't know what Adelaide and I would do if we didn't have you, John, I mean that.'

'You never have to worry about that,' He told her, 'because I'm not going anywhere.'

'I know you're not,' She pulled back from his chest to meet his gaze before lying his hand on her stomach and covering it with her own, 'our baby is the proof of that.'

She accepted the kiss that he pressed onto her lips after stooping a little.

'You're exhausted.' He pointed out once their kiss had ended. 'Let's get you to bed.'

He took her hand in his own again before leading her out of their daughter's bedroom and down the landing towards their own, Anna leaning her head against his shoulder as he led her inside the room and guided her over to the bed. She then watched him pull back the covers for her before she climbed onto the bed and laid herself down.

'Warm enough?' He asked once he had put the covers over her.

'Yes. Thank you.' She smiled up at him.

After brushing her hair out of her face he walked around to his own side of their bed before climbing in beside her, wrapping one of his arms around her hips from behind and kissing the back of her head. 'Next time, if you can't sleep, don't feel as though you have to get up.' He murmured into her hair. 'I don't care if you wake me, Anna.'

'Okay,' She said into the darkness whilst shuffling back against his chest, 'I won't.'

'Good.' He replied. 'Now, close your eyes and try to get some more sleep.'

She laced the fingers with his own on her stomach before turning her head to brush a kiss against the inside of his elbow when he slipped his other arm beneath her head to cushion it. 'See you in the morning.' She whispered as she started to settle down.

'You will, my love.' He kissed her shoulder.

The two of them then snuggled further down beneath the covers before he rested his chin on her shoulder, closed his eyes and allowed the soft sound of her breathing to lull him once again into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and I hope that you enjoyed. As I said at the start, I promise that the next chapter will be a lot longer than this one and so I hope you'll come back for that! Please review and I'll see you next time :-) x**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Please enjoy!**

* * *

Anna smiled and ran her thumb across her husband's knuckles as the two of them walked through one of Mr. Mason's fields together shortly after lunch, her gaze fixed on her mother and daughter as the two of them walked ahead and she was just about able to hear Adelaide telling Ellen about a new game that she had made up. Even though she still wasn't too fond of John, there was no denying that Ellen was besotted with Adelaide. Her eyes sparkled whenever she came into a room.

It didn't surprise her though.

Everyone that knew Adelaide adored her.

She hoped that her mother warmed to John before the end of their picnic. She wanted her to see him as she and Adelaide did. As a gentle, loving and patient man and an incredible husband and father. The last thing that she wanted was for her to travel home in the morning with the exact same opinion of him that she had arrived with. She left her thoughts when she felt the side of her head being kissed a little while later, a gentle smile curling her lips when she looked at John.

'Penny for them?' He raised his brow at her.

She sighed. 'I just...I don't like knowing that Mum doesn't approve of you. She thinks that you're a criminal and that you're someone you're not and I hate it. She can be so small-minded at times.'

John stopped walking after a time which caused her to do the same before she turned to face him and he released her hand so that he could brush her windswept hair out of her face. 'I don't care what she thinks of me. I told you that the last time she was here.' He reminded her as he traced the line of her jaw with his fingers. 'All that matters to me is what you and Addie think of me.' His words caused her heart to swell with love with him before she took a tiny step closer to him.

'We love you more than anything else in the world and nothing is ever going to change that.' She took his hand in hers again once he had stopped stroking her jaw, her eyes closing of their own accord when he kissed her temple. 'You take such good care of the two of us and you should see the way that Adelaide looks at you when you're not looking. She adores you and, if I'm honest, I'm not surprised. I couldn't imagine a better father for our daughter than you. You're incredible.'

The two of them shared a smile before she slid her hand out of his and laid it on the outside of his arm, his hand finding her hip through her skirt so that he could pull her closer to him when she rose up onto her tiptoes to press her lips against his. She had only intended it to be a quick kiss, but - even so - she didn't pull back from him when his tongue teased her bottom lip in a request for entrance. Rather, she moved her hand to the back of his neck and granted it to him.

Their kiss was desperate and passionate for several long seconds before she remembered that her mother and Adelaide weren't that far ahead of them and began to bring their kiss to an end, a huff of disappointment escaping her when their lips parted and she allowed her hand to fall from his shoulder. When she felt him run his hand over her hair she looked up into his eyes and felt her heart flutter at the way that he was looking at her. 'I'll make it up to you.' He winked at her.

'Mmm...you'd better.' She smirked before they took each other's hand again and continued to walk through the field. 'Thank you for being so civil with Mum.' She said. 'I know that it irritated you when she tried to undermine me last night, but I'm so grateful that you held your tongue and just allowed me to deal with it.' She felt him softly squeeze her hand as he lowered his gaze to her.

'If your mother and I were at each other's throat the entire time she was here then it would leave you miserable and that's the last thing I want.' He replied. 'You have far too much on your plate as it is, my love, and you're trying to do everything on barely any sleep which is why I want to do whatever I can to make things easier for you. You don't need your mother and I acting like kids.'

She stepped closer to him and tightened her hold on his hand. 'I love you so much, John Bates.'

'I love you too, Anna.' He reassured her as he kissed the side of her head. 'More than you know.'

* * *

'Daddy?' Adelaide said whilst playing with his hair when she was perched on his hip as he headed in the direction of the paddock that the horses were in a few hours later, John humming with a raise of his brow in response when he turned his head in her direction and pecked at her hairline. 'Can we get one of the kitties that we saw earlier on for Mummy for her birthday?' She asked.

'You mean one of the kittens that Mr. Mason let us look at?' He stroked her leg with his thumb.

She nodded.

'I don't know, darling, pets are a lot of work.' He told her. 'If we had a kitten then we would have to get a litter tray, a bed, food, food and milk bowls and toys for it. I think that Mummy will be busy enough with you and the baby in a couple of months without having to take care of a kitten as well. Why don't we wait until next year and then get her a kitten?' He squeezed her tenderly.

She pouted in response as she tightened her legs around his waist. 'A kitten could help Mummy.'

'How so?' He asked.

'If she has one of her sad or poorly days and I'm playing in the garden then the kitten could give her cuddles and make her feel better. You won't be able to cuddle her because you'll be working, but kitties don't work.' She looked into his eyes. 'I can play with it and give it milk and food too, so that Mummy doesn't have to do it all.' A smile curled her lips when he kissed her little nose.

When he drew back from her he allowed her to lie her head on his shoulder as he stared thinking about what she had said. If he was honest, she had made a good point. If they surprised Anna with a kitten for her birthday then she would have a little companion when one of her bad days came along and she needed some peace and quiet and he was at work. She wouldn't be alone.

Caring for a kitten would be quite expensive, he knew that, but he also knew that Anna had been wanting a pet for quite some time now. Kittens weren't as loud as puppies either, which was yet another bonus, especially since they had a baby on the way. Now that he'd thought it over a bit, he realised that getting Anna a kitten for her birthday in two months wasn't such a crazy idea.

'Addie,' He said as he turned to his little girl again, 'do you promise to play with the kitten if we get one for Mummy?' He was unable to prevent the chuckle from escaping him when she let out a gasp and lifted her head off of his shoulder, his hold of her tightening as she nodded in response and her eyes shone with happiness. 'Then Daddy will talk to Mr. Mason before we go home, okay?'

'Can I come with you, can I come with you?' She almost squealed. 'I want to choose the kitten!'

'I don't see why not.' He smiled at her. 'Now, shall we go and feed the horses these apple slices?'

When she nodded again he kissed her on the cheek and continued walking towards the paddock.

* * *

From their picnic spot, Anna and Ellen watched as John and Adelaide fed the horses together.

'He _is_ rather sweet with her, isn't he?' Ellen observed before she turned to her daughter.

Anna took a sip from her glass of lemonade before setting the glass down beside her on the picnic blanket and leaning back against the trunk of the oak tree. 'I told you, Mum, he loves the bones of her. Even when he's worn out; even when his knee starts seizing up, he'll still tuck her into bed and read her as many bedtime stories as she asks for. Their time together is so precious to him.'

'Doesn't it bother her that he can't run around in the garden with her? If your Dad…'

'Mum,' Anna sighed, 'I know that Alice and I would get upset if Dad was too tired to play with us when he got in from work. This isn't like that though. It's not that John is too worn out to play with her for long, it's that he physically can't. If he was physically able to chase after her in the garden, I don't doubt that he would do so until the sun set. You can't compare him to my Dad.'

Ellen gave her a silent nod.

'To answer your question, no. It doesn't bother her in the slightest that he can't run around with her in the garden because him being unable to do that is all she's ever known. Perhaps it would be a little different if he had been fine in the beginning and then he had had an accident which caused him to be unable to run after her anymore, but that's not how things are.' She told her.

'I want to like him,' Ellen admitted, 'but…'

Anna knew what she was thinking. 'You don't like the thought of me being with someone who was once imprisoned for murder?' She raised her brow at her before sipping her lemonade once again.

'Can you blame me?' Ellen asked.

'He didn't murder anyone.' Anna almost hissed. 'Saying that you don't like him because of that is like you saying that you don't like the thought of me being near Alice because I was imprisoned for murder as well.' She watched her mother shift closer to her on the picnic blanket with a sigh.

'Sweetheart, that's different.' Ellen said as she rested her hand on her knee.

Anna shook her head in response. 'No, Mum, it isn't.'

'Anna, he's the kind of man that could flip without warning. He's the kind of man that could lose his temper if he's in pain and you do the slightest thing wrong.' Ellen told her, Anna feeling her heart sink in her chest as she listened to her speak to her. 'He may be your husband and he may love you, but that doesn't mean that you're safe with him. He's one of the unpredictable ones.'

'You don't even know him!' Anna finally snapped. 'I can't believe that you have the _audacity_ to sit there and tell me that I'm not safe around John when you don't even know what he's really like! You've never even tried to find out what kind of a man he really is. If you had put in the slightest bit of effort to do that then you'd know how patient and how affectionate and how kind he is.'

'Darling…' Ellen looked into her eyes.

'Don't "darling" me.' Anna lowered her gaze to her lap with a shake of her head. 'You know, ever since you started telling me about how awful you think John is, I've been wondering one thing.'

Ellen sat in silence for a moment. 'What's that?'

'I've been wondering how you can take one look at John and see a dangerous man, but you never saw just how dangerous my stepfather was to me.' She felt tears burn in her eyes. 'Ever since you first met John I've been trying to get you to like him and to see just how incredible he is, but I just feel as though I'm losing. I don't see the point in trying anymore, I seriously don't,' She said.

'What are you saying?' Ellen's brow creased.

'I'm saying,' Anna set her glass of lemonade down, 'that you can think what you like of him from now on,' She pushed herself to her feet before wiping the grass off of her skirt as she looked at her mother,' but you will never manage to change mine or Adelaide's opinion of him, I mean that.'

And, with that, she turned on her heel and began to walk in the direction of John and Adelaide.

When she was alone, Ellen leaned back against the trunk of the tree and sighed to herself.

She had really messed up this time.

Would Anna ever forgive her for this? That, she didn't know.

What she did know, however, was that she was going to do whatever necessary to right things.

* * *

It was late that evening, not too long after he, Adelaide, Anna and Ellen had gotten back from the farm, when John was leaning against the kitchen counter and smiling whilst he looked out of the window. Anna and Adelaide had been lying together on a blanket on the grass together for a while now, his wife holding their daughter close to her whilst she told her about all the constellations.

Even though he wasn't out there with them, he was able to tell that Adelaide was in awe of what her mother was telling her. Seeing the two of them spend quality time together had never failed to warm his heart. Their bond was so strong and he was more than positive that that would never change. Not even when Anna had given birth and was busy feeding and nurturing their newborn.

After a couple of minutes he felt a presence in the room with him and looked over his shoulder to see Ellen approaching him. Neither one of them spoke as she came to stand beside him, but she sighed when she looked out of the window and her gaze fell on her daughter. 'I always knew that she would make the perfect mother. She used to take such good care of the dolls that she had.'

John had to chuckle a little at the thought of a five-year-old Anna being a mother to her dolls.

'Can I ask you a question?' Ellen asked him after several silent minutes had passed them by.

'Of course.' He replied as he turned his head in her direction.

She let out a sigh. 'Do you love her? Even more than I do?'

'No-one could love her more than you do. You're her mother and - as Anna says - a mother's love is the strongest love there is.' He told her. 'I like to think that I love her almost as much as you do, though. For the past seven years she's given me something to live for and there hasn't been a single morning when I've woken up and felt as though I love her less than I did the day before. Even if we've gone to sleep angry - which is rare - I still wake up loving her far more than I did the day before.' He watched Ellen's lips curl up into a smile when she lifted her gaze up to his.

'I know that you think that I'm a danger to her.' He sighed. 'I know that you feel as though she isn't safe around me, but I can tell you right now that I would never hurt her. My father would beat my mother on almost a daily basis when I was around Addie's age. I would never - not in a thousand years - force Anna or anyone else to endure something like that. I'm not my father.'

Ellen nodded. 'I've misjudged you for years…' She whispered, 'and I apologise for that.'

'I accept your apology and I appreciate it.' He offered her a smile. 'Before I go out and tell them that it's time to come in, I need to know that you know I love your daughter, Mrs. Thompson.'

Ellen rested a hand on his forearm. 'I trust that you do. Now.'

And so, with knowing that, John stepped past her with a smile and made his way outside.

* * *

'John?' Anna mumbled as she stirred when he climbed into bed behind her later that evening.

'I'm here.' He reassured her with a kiss to her shoulder. 'Go back to sleep, sweetheart.'

She shifted back against his chest when he wrapped an arm around her waist before she laid her head on the arm that he slipped beneath it and shut her eyes. 'I think I may have made things worse for you with Mum.' She sighed. 'I had a bit of a go at her at the picnic and so she might be even worse tomorrow. I just thought I would warn you.' He buried warm kisses into her neck.

'Shh…' He hushed against her skin, 'everything's going to be fine.'

'But…' She covered his hand with hers on her stomach and laced their fingers.

'Just trust me, Anna.' He sighed. 'Trust me and get some sleep. You deserve it, my darling.'

'Okay,' She sounded a little uncertain, 'goodnight, John.'

'Goodnight, Anna.' He whispered into her ear. 'Sleep well.'

It took her minutes to drift off in his arms again and, once she had, he snuggled against her and rested his chin on her shoulder before closing his eyes and smiling to himself as he was certain that tomorrow morning was going to turn out to be a far better morning than this one had been.

Everything, from this moment on, was going to be fine.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and I hope that you enjoyed! I'm sorry if it wasn't the best - I'm tired and it's super late - but I wanted to get this updated tonight! Anywho, I hope that you will leave me a review to let me know what you thought and I'll see you all in the next chapter x**


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 21! This one is a little longer than the previous one, so I hope you're happy about that :) Happy reading! x**

* * *

It was a few hours later, not long after dawn had broken, when John was lying in silence between his wife and their daughter, Anna sleeping with her back to him whilst he held Adelaide close and could feel her stroking her fingers against the hairs on his chest. He had woken up when she had clambered into bed beside him a little over an hour ago and even though he had known that Anna was trying to teach her to stay in her own bed until the sun came up, he hadn't had the heart to send her away once she had gotten settled.

He loved their cuddles. He loved how she fit so perfectly in his arms; how she talked to herself without even realising it and how she busied herself with tangling her fingers in his chest hair. Knowing that there would come a time when she no longer crept into the room to cuddle with him made him want to make the most of this precious time with her. Time was passing far too quickly for his liking and he knew that – even though she would always be his baby – she was growing up and starting to become much more independent.

She was already learning how to write letters and numbers and she was so close to being toilet-trained now. He was prouder of her than he could explain – of course he was – and he knew that she was going to make him and Anna and her teacher so proud of her when she started school next September, but all he wanted was for time to slow down a little. He wanted her to stay his little girl and he wanted to have moments like this with her – moments when all the two of them did was lie silently together – for as long as possible.

When she snuggled further into his warmth underneath the quilt and nuzzled her cheek against his bare shoulder he tightened his hold of her, his eyes holding nothing but love for her when he turned his head to look at her before he pressed his lips to her temple. She tilted her head back on his shoulder once he had given her a tender kiss and he felt his heart swell within his chest when she smiled at him. She was perfect. He was unsure of what he had done to deserve her, but he knew he would do it all again if he needed to.

'Is Mummy still sleeping, Daddy?' She asked him with a raise of her brow.

He turned his head in the direction of his wife before smiling when he heard her gentle snores, his free hand coming up to stroke Adelaide's curls when he met her gaze again. 'Yes, darling, she is.' He nodded with a whisper as he drew her further into his embrace.

'Mummy sleeps a lot, doesn't she?' She giggled.

He couldn't help but chuckle in response. 'She does, but she needs all the sleep that she can get at the moment. She's working very hard to take care of us and Nanny and she's working even harder to create your brother or sister.' He explained to her as he smiled.

'Can I go and give her a kiss?' The hope was evident in her eyes whilst she looked at him.

'You can, sweet-pea, but be very gentle so that you don't wake her up.' He replied.

Adelaide nodded before pressing a kiss to his cheek and moving out of his arms so that she could get off of the bed, a smile curling her lips as she made her way around to her mother's side. When she reached her she saw that a strand of her hair had slipped into her face and so she pushed it back behind her ear, causing her father's love for her to deepen as he adored the bond that the two of them shared. She then laid a hand on the mattress before pressing her lips against her mother's and drawing back from her again.

'Daddy,' She whispered as she looked at him whilst stroking her mother's cheek with the backs of her fingers, 'can we go downstairs and make a special breakfast for Mummy?'

'You mean you want to surprise her with breakfast in bed this morning?' He asked whilst propping himself up on his hands before she nodded in response as she smiled at him. 'I don't see why not. Just let me get a nightshirt and then we'll head downstairs, all right?'

'Okay.' She said before lowering her gaze to her mother again as her father pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. She had the prettiest Mummy in the world. She was certain of it. After watching her sleep for a few more seconds she leaned down to leave a kiss on her cheek before pulling the covers further over her. 'I love you.' She told her.

'Come on then, you.' She turned to look at her father when he spoke before crossing the room and reaching up to take his hand, the two of them smiling when he started to lead her out of the room. It didn't take long for the two of them to walk down the stairs and into the kitchen, John bending at the waist to take Adelaide's waist in his hands and lift her to sit on the kitchen counter once they had walked over to it. 'There we go.' He said.

She smiled when he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. 'Thank you, Daddy.'

'You're welcome.' He ran a hand over her curls. 'Now, what should we make for Mummy?'

Adelaide fell quiet as she thought for a moment. 'Scrambled egg on toast!' She told him.

John had to chuckle at that.

Anna had been craving scrambled eggs for the last few weeks now.

'All right.' He smiled. 'Shall we take her a bowl of strawberries up as well?'

'Yes!' Adelaide gasped. 'Mummy loves strawberries.'

After shaking his head lovingly at her he opened one of the overhead cupboards and got out a bowl before placing it beside her on the kitchen counter. 'If I crack the eggs for you, will you put the milk in and mix it for me whilst I put the toast in the toaster?' He asked her once he had headed over to the other counter and collected a couple of eggs.

'Okay.' She replied.

'Good girl.' Once he had set the eggs down he walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk before walking back to the counter, opening another cupboard and finding a measuring cup so that he could measure out the milk. He then cracked the eggs into the bowl before handing the measuring cup of milk to Adelaide and allowing her to pour it in. 'Here you are, my love.' He pulled a whisk out of the drawer. 'Do you know when to stop?'

'When it's yellow?' She asked.

He nodded. 'That's right.'

Once she had started to beat the eggs and milk with the whisk he walked over to where the toaster was and got the bread out of the bread-bin before putting two slices of it into the toaster and starting it up. As he waited for the bread to toast he gazed over at Adelaide and smiled as he could see her tongue poking out of her mouth as she whisked.

He loved how everything always had to be perfect whenever she wanted to surprise her mother. It was clear to him that she loved Anna with her whole heart and there was no questioning if Anna felt the same way about her. The two of them were so close and one of his favourite things to do was watch them together. He loved them both so intensely.

It wasn't long before the toast was done and once he had put it on a plate and carried it over to the counter that Adelaide was sat on he smiled at seeing that she had finished beating the eggs in the bowl. 'Well done, darling, that's perfect.' He caressed her cheek. 'Why don't you hop down now so that I can use the stove? I don't want you getting hurt.'

Instead of answering him she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to ease her off of the counter and back onto the kitchen floor before she approached the table and climbed up onto one of the chairs. 'Daddy, can we go to the park later?' She inquired as she looked over at him and watched him use the stove in order to scramble the eggs.

'I don't think we'll be able to go today, Addie, because Mummy kept waking up last night to be sick.' He told her. 'Perhaps we should let her rest today and then tomorrow – once we've walked Nanny to the train station and she's got on the train – we can go and spend an hour at the park on our way back here. What do you think about that?' He asked her.

'All right.' He heard her say from behind him. 'We can just give Mummy snuggles all day!'

He laughed. 'You know, sweetheart, I don't think she'll object to that one bit.'

It took a few minutes for him to finish scrambling the eggs for Anna and turn the stove off, but once he had he quickly buttered the toast before scraping the eggs out of the frying pan and onto the toast. 'Do you want to get the strawberries for me?' He raised his brow at Adelaide after turning back to her. 'They're on the shelf in the refrigerator.'

She nodded her response before sliding off of the chair and going to the refrigerator, a smile forming on her lips when she spotted the strawberries and got them out. 'Here you go, Daddy.' She reached up to hand the strawberries to him. 'Please can I have one?'

'Well, I don't know how I could say no since you asked so nicely.' He replied before taking a strawberry out of the punnet, removing the stalk and allowing her to take it from him.

'Thank you.' She said before popping the berry into her mouth and eating it.

Once she had finished eating the strawberry, John quickly put a few of them in a bowl before finding a tray and putting everything on it. 'Right then,' He brought the tray into his hands before turning back to her and meeting her gaze, 'let's get this up to Mummy.'

* * *

Anna smiled to herself when she heard Adelaide and John talking outside the bedroom door whilst she was sat up in bed with a book a few minutes later. Knowing that her little girl would undoubtedly run straight over to her once she came into the room, she folded the corner of the page that she was on before shutting the book and setting it down on the nightstand. She then reclined back against the headboard and waited for a moment.

Just as she had expected, as soon as the bedroom door opened and Adelaide came into the bedroom her eyes lit up and she made a bee-line for the bed. 'Mummy,' She beamed as she clambered up onto the bed before crawling across the covers to her and settling into her side, 'you've woken up!' She beamed as she tilted her head back on her shoulder and gazed up into her eyes, Anna laughing as she gave her cheek a caress with her hand.

'I _have_ woken up, sweetheart!' She replied before pressing a kiss onto her forehead and offering her husband a smile when she lifted her gaze to him and watched him make his way over to her. 'What's all this?' She raised her brow at him when he set the breakfast tray down in her lap atop the covers, John's eyes holding nothing but love for her as he used his hand to brush several wayward hairs out of her face and back beneath her ear.

'It was Addie's idea.' He revealed. 'She wanted to make you a special breakfast because you've been so tired over the past few days and because you do so much for both of us.' He leaned down to press his lips against hers in a delicate kiss, their lips smacking when their kiss ended before Anna turned her head in their daughter's direction and beamed.

'I love you _so much.'_ She gave Adelaide a squeeze. 'Thank you, my lovely.'

Adelaide snuggled further into her whilst being mindful of the tray. 'You're welcome.'

'Does my kitchen look like a bomb's hit it?' Anna giggled when John sat down on the bed.

He gave her a sheepish smile. 'Yes…' He chuckled, 'but I promise I'll clean it up.'

'I love you.' She reached out with her free hand to take one of his.

'And I love you.' He reassured her before lifting her hand to his lips and giving it a peck.

When Adelaide reached into the bowl of strawberries, Anna looked at her again before giggling when she offered it to her. Once she had allowed her to feed it to her she ate it before pressing her lips to the side of her head through her curls. 'My little miracle.' She whispered into her hair before drawing back from her and drawing her a bit closer.

'Why don't you come and sit on my knee for a minute so that Mummy can eat before her breakfast goes cold, darling?' John suggested when he looked at Adelaide, his little girl nodding her response before she kissed her mother on the cheek and crawled across to him. As soon as she was in his lap she settled against him, John kissing her head warmly.

'Is Mum still in bed?' Anna asked as she began to eat.

'I presume so.' He replied. 'She wasn't downstairs when we were down there.'

Once she had put another forkful of egg into her mouth and eaten it she reclined back against her pillow and looked at him. 'Last night, when you came to bed and told me that things would be all right with you and me and Mum, what did you mean?' She questioned.

'Last night, when you and Addie were looking at the stars together, your Mum came into the kitchen and we had a talk. She asked me if I loved you. More than she did.' He said. 'I told her that that wasn't possible because she's your mother, but that I like to think that I love you almost as much as she does.' He watched his wife's lips curve into a smile. 'Then I told her that I know that she thought that I was a threat to you.' He explained.

'Then what happened?' She raised her brow.

He sighed. 'I told her about the things that I caught father doing to mother when I was Adelaide's age. I told her that he would do those things to her on a daily basis and that I would never even dream of raising my hand to you, let alone do it.' He stroked her leg through the quilt. 'In the end she apologised for misjudging me all these years and told me that she knows that I'm not just saying that I love you. She knows that I mean that.'

'So…' The relief was evident in Anna's eyes, 'she's all right with you now?'

'I don't see us being best friends any time soon,' He teased, 'but yes. Everything is fine.'

She smiled at him. 'You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that.'

'I just hope that you'll be able to rest a little better now that it's all resolved.' He said.

'Me too.' She admitted. 'I'm so tired of being tired all the time.'

When she put another forkful of egg into her mouth and ate it, John lifted one hand to her face and cupped the curve of her cheek in his palm. 'You are the strongest woman I know and I feel so proud and so honoured to be able to call you my wife.' He said to her.

'You mean everything to me and Addie.' She sighed once she had eaten the piece of egg.

'And the two of you mean everything to me.' He replied. 'Absolutely everything…'

* * *

As he sat in the chair beside the bathtub in the bathroom a couple of hours later, John smiled as he ran his fingers through Anna's hair and watched her lie within the bubbles with her eyes closed. She wasn't asleep, he knew that, but she was content and relaxed and that was all that mattered to him. Ellen had gone into town a little while ago to get a couple of things to take home with her in the morning and neither of them had hesitated to give her permission to take Adelaide with her. The cottage was so calm and quiet now.

It wasn't that the two of them hadn't wanted Adelaide around – that wasn't the case at all – but John had known that Anna had been exhausted and that Adelaide being out with her grandmother for an hour-or-so would enable her to relax. Almost as soon as the two of them had left the cottage he had come upstairs to draw Anna a bath and – ever since – he had been sitting with her whilst she soaked and allowed herself to completely relax. He had to admit that she looked so charming and so satisfied as she laid in the bubbles.

After a number of silent minutes had passed the two of them by, she reached up to take the hand that was stroking her hair in her own. She then laced her fingers with his and turned her head to press kisses to his knuckles before sliding further into the bubbles. When she opened her eyes and looked up at him he traced circles onto the back of her palm with his thumb, the two of them sharing a smile before he rose out of his chair to kiss her temple. 'There's room for you in here, you know.' She said to him in a soft voice.

'I know, but I want you to be able to rest.' He replied.

'Next year we will have been married for seven years.' She reminded him. 'You can't tell me that you don't know by now that I manage to relax far better when I'm in your arms.'

The two of them chuckled together before he ran a hand over her hair.

'Come and get in the bath, John.' She sighed when she looked into his eyes again.

Knowing that he would never be able to refuse her anything, John leaned in to brush his lips against hers before rising from the chair and beginning to rid himself of his clothes. In minutes he was climbing into the bath behind his wife, the two of them smiling at one another when he leaned back against the bath and she shifted backwards until she was sat between his legs. She then settled back against his chest, her head coming to lie in the dip between his neck and shoulder before she kissed his neck. 'Mmm…' She hummed.

'Mmm…indeed.' His lips grazed her hairline as he spoke to her before kissing her there.

'When was the last time we did this?' She whispered as she laced their fingers together on her stomach underneath the water, her eyes closed as she basked in their closeness.

John thought for a moment. 'I honestly can't remember.'

'I've missed it.' She sighed. 'I think we should make it a weekly thing.'

'We could give Addie her dinner an hour earlier so that she goes to bed an hour earlier and then, whilst one of us is reading to her, the other can come in here and start to run the bath.' He brushed a kiss against her wet and glistening shoulder as he held her near.

'I like that idea.' She turned her head in his direction.

'Do you?' He smiled before grazing her nose with his.

'Mmm hmm…' She nodded.

'Good.' He whispered.

He then captured her lower lip in a long and delicate kiss, one of her hands moving from over his beneath the water to come up and tangle in his hair as his lips shifted over her own. The sound of their kisses bounced off of the bathroom walls, Anna smiling against his lips when he traced her lower lip with his tongue and she curled her fingers into his hair. She then parted her lips beneath his and allowed him to deepen their kiss, his hold of her tightening when their tongues began to dance to a song that only they could hear.

'You're so gorgeous…' He murmured between softly passionate kisses as he lifted one of his hands to the side of her neck to keep her in place, his thumb running along the line of her jaw as his other hand stayed on her belly and he held her flush against his chest.

'I love you so much.' She whimpered.

'I love you too…' He replied. 'More than you know.'

* * *

When she walked into the bedroom that she shared with John once she and her mother had said goodnight that evening, she was unable to stop the smile from spreading across her lips as her heart swelled at the sight in front of her. Her husband was sound asleep in the bed in the centre of their bedroom with Adelaide snuggled into his side, her tiny hand lying next to her head on his chest whilst the two of them snored gently together.

John was always going on about how perfect she looked whenever she and Adelaide fell asleep or spent time together, but as she watched him sleep with their little girl safe in his arms he looked far more perfect than she could ever imagine herself looking. Once a few moments had passed she started to walk over to their marital bed, a laugh escaping her when she lifted Adelaide's _Winnie the Pooh_ book off of his chest and bookmarked it.

She then closed it and set it down on the nightstand before bending down to give him a soft kiss on the forehead, her lips smacking in the silence of their room when she drew back from him. Before walking over to her wardrobe for her nightgown she covered him and their daughter further with their blanket and smiled down at them both once again.

It didn't take her long at all to change out of her dress and into her nightgown and once she had brushed out her hair she walked over to the bed, a tired sigh leaving her as she climbed into it and laid down after turning off the lamp on her own nightstand. 'Are you here?' She heard John mumble as he stirred somewhat whilst she settled down to sleep.

'I am, my love.' She reassured him with a stroke of his chest. 'Go back to sleep.'

He turned his head towards her, his eyes still closed. 'Come here.' He said to her.

With a giggle and a loving shake of her head she leaned over their slumbering daughter to brush a kiss against his lips. 'Love you.' He sighed as he settled down beside her again.

'I love you too.' She whispered before burying a kiss into the curls at the back of their beautiful little girl's head. 'Just as much as I love you, my little dreamer.' She mumbled.

As she closed her eyes and waited for slumber to claim her once she had snuggled up to the two of them she smiled to herself again. If – when she had first come to Downton – someone had told her that she was going to meet the love of her life at the foot of the servants' staircase she never would have believed them. Just like she never would have believed it if – when she had been recovering from her attack – someone had said that her life would be perfect in just a few years' time.

Back then it would have seemed too good to be true.

But now she knew that it wasn't.

She had a husband that she loved with all her heart and soul, a little girl who meant the whole world and more to her and a little baby growing safely in the depths of her body.

Her life really _was_ perfect now.

And she would never allow herself to forget that.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so, so much for reading this chapter and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please review to let me know what you all thought and I'll see you all in the next chapter :) x**


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 22! I hope that you all enjoy and happy reading! x**

* * *

The first light of morning peeked into the sitting room through the crack in the drapes that hung in the window the following morning, the room taking on somewhat of a golden hue as Anna was perched on the edge of the settee and rocking back and forth with her perfect little girl in her lap. The tears that had been scrolling down Adelaide's cheeks a few minutes earlier were now starting to stain her skin as her head laid on her shoulder and she looked up at her, but her eyes were still glistening with them as she whimpered.

She had hoped that her darling's nightmares had been a thing of the past now since she hadn't suffered from one for over a fortnight, but when she had gone to her room when her cries had woken her from slumber not too long ago she had seen nothing but fear in her eyes. At first she had thought that it had been her overactive imagination that had caused her nightmare, but when she had crawled into her lap after she had sat down on the bed she'd told her that she didn't like the _bad people_ and that they frightened her.

Hearing that had almost made her weep herself.

Her nightmares that were centred around her birth parents weren't happening as often as they had when she and John had first adopted her – something that the two of them were relieved about – but when they did happen they seemed to be just as – if not more – intense as the ones that she had suffered from in the beginning. It killed her to know that her little girl was still suffering from the after effects of the abuse that she had suffered. It reminded her of when she had suffered from nightmares after her attack.

That time of her life had been so difficult and the nightmares had been so horrific, but they had stopped in time and she prayed that that the same would happen for Adelaide.

When her little girl curled her fingers into the bodice of her nightgown and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder she was brought out of her thoughts, a tender smile curving her lips when she brought one hand up to brush a red curl out of her face. 'My beautiful girl…' She whispered before placing a kiss on her forehead whilst continuing to rock her back and forth. 'The bad people are gone now, sweet-pea, and I promise that Daddy and I will never let them touch you again. You don't have to be frightened of them anymore.'

Adelaide gave her a silent nod in response before the two of them heard the tap of her father's cane out in the hall and looked in the direction of the doorway before watching John enter the room. She wriggled in her mother's arms for a few seconds before Anna let her leave her lap and walk over to her father, a tearful whimper escaping her throat when John scooped her up in one arm and lifted her up onto his hip. 'What's the matter, darling?' He whispered when she laid her head on his shoulder and he kissed her temple.

'I had a nightmare, Daddy.' She sniffled whilst sliding both of her arms around his neck.

He felt his heart sink at her words before he looked over at his wife and his heart sank even more as he was able to tell that she was at a loss. He knew that all she wanted was to help their little girl stop having these nightmares, but that she just couldn't think of a way to do that. After readjusting their daughter on his hip he approached the settee before sitting down next to Anna and putting down his cane. 'Come here.' He instructed.

In silence, Anna shifted closer to him before resting her head on his bare shoulder and sighing as she watched him bring Adelaide into his lap. Once she and Adelaide had made themselves comfortable in his embrace a silence fell over the three of them for a time. She watched Adelaide curl the coarse hair on John's chest around her fingers – a bit of an obsession of hers – before reaching out to run a hand over her hair. When she felt a kiss being pressed to her crown she gazed up at her husband and released a gentle sigh.

'I know what you're thinking,' He told her, 'and I want you to stop.'

'But I'm her mother, John,' She replied sadly, 'I should know what to do to help her.'

He tightened his hold of her and snugged her closer before caressing her waist through her winter nightgown. 'No-one expects you to know everything, Anna, and not being sure of what to do does _not_ mean that you're not a good mother.' Before continuing he kissed her on the forehead. 'You are an incredible mother and this little one adores you. You're so gentle with her and you've got the patience of a saint.' He revelled in the little giggle that she let out as she snuggled further into his warmth. 'You always make me so proud.'

'I do?' She asked.

He nodded. 'I love you so much and I couldn't imagine a better mother for our children.'

'I couldn't imagine a better _father_ for the two of them either.' She said to him.

After sharing a smile with him she stopped stroking Adelaide's hair and laid her hand on his cheek, her thumb stroking his skin for a few seconds before she leaned forwards to capture his lower lip in a long kiss. Her hand lingered on his cheek as she kissed him and when she pulled back she drew his lower lip through her teeth. 'You minx.' John smirked.

' _Your_ minx.' She flirted.

When she felt a little hand patting her thigh through her nightgown she looked down at her little girl once again before smiling at her when their eyes met. 'Mummy, can I have some breakfast? Please?' Adelaide asked her once she'd taken her hand from her thigh.

'Of course you can, sweetheart.' Anna nodded. 'What would you like?'

Adelaide hummed in thought for a moment. 'Cornflakes, please.'

'Cornflakes it is.' Anna reached out to run the backs of her fingers down her daughter's cheek. 'Do you want to come with me or do you want to sit here with Daddy whilst I go?'

'I want to stay with Daddy.' Adelaide admitted whilst snuggling further into her father.

Anna giggled. 'All right. I'll call you when your breakfast's on the table.'

She then rose from the settee and walked out of the sitting room before John reclined back against one of the cushions and snugged their little girl a little closer to his chest, Adelaide smiling up at him when she tilted her head back on his chest before he grazed her forehead with his lips. 'I love you, Addie.' His lips brushed her skin whilst he talked.

'I love you too, Daddy.' She reassured him. 'Even more than Mr. Snuggles.'

'Goodness me!' He chuckled in response, knowing how much she _adored_ that bear.

When she buried her face in his chest and released a sigh of satisfaction after giggling at him he brought his hand to the back of her head and combed his fingers through her hair, his lips finding her crown before he left a tender kiss to it and sighed against her.

She might have loved him even more than she loved Mr. Snuggles, but he loved her more than he could ever hope to explain.

* * *

'She's been sat there like that for the last half-an-hour now.' Anna sighed when she and John were standing together in the doorway to their sitting room a few hours later, the two of them looking over at Adelaide whilst she sat on the settee and stared out of the window. She had been so excited at the thought of spending some time at the park with them after the three of them had escorted Ellen to the train station, but less than ten minutes after they had left the station the skies had opened and it had started to rain.

When the two of them had told her that it wouldn't be possible for them to head to the park she had nodded her response, but she hadn't spoken again for the rest of the walk home and it had been obvious to them that she had been downhearted. Even now, almost an hour after the three of them had reached the cottage, she still hadn't perked up. If anything, she was even more downhearted than she had been earlier on. From their spot in the doorway to the quaint sitting room, Anna and John could tell that she was waiting.

She was waiting so patiently for the rain to stop, but it was showing no signs of doing so.

In fact, it seemed to be getting heavier by the minute.

'Just because it's throwing it down and we can't all head to the park like we had planned, doesn't mean that we can't still have a nice afternoon together.' John replied to his wife as he rested his hand on her back through her dress and gave it a stroke, Anna allowing her head to fall back against his shoulder before she looked up at him to meet his gaze.

'What are you thinking?' She inquired.

He offered her a smile before winding his arm around her middle and drawing her close. 'I'm thinking that we find a couple of blankets and lie them out on the floor, make a few sandwiches, find a few treats and have an indoor picnic. I remember doing that rather a lot with mother whenever father wasn't at home.' He watched Anna's lips curve up into a soft smile before she rose up onto her tiptoes and pecked at his cheek, his eyes closing.

'Alice and I used to do the same thing with our parents when the weather was like this.' She admitted. 'Now that I think about it, I think we both enjoyed having a picnic in the house more than we enjoyed going to the park.' The two of them laughed before she ran her hand across his chest through his shirt. 'Why don't you pop up to the linen cupboard whilst I tell Addie our plan and ask her if she wants to help me to make our picnic food?'

He nodded his response. 'All right.'

Once he had pressed a kiss onto her temple he removed his arm from around her middle and turned to walk up the staircase, a sigh leaving her when she looked over at Adelaide for a moment before approaching her. Adelaide stopped gazing out of the window at the rain when she reached the settee, the sadness evident in her eyes when she knelt down in front of her. 'If the rain stops can we go to the park, Mummy?' Adelaide asked softly.

'I don't think the rain is going to stop, darling, not for another few hours at least,' Anna replied as she rested a hand on her knee through her dress, her heart sinking when her daughter's face fell, 'but Daddy and I have had an idea that might cheer you up a little.'

'What idea?' Adelaide cocked her head to one side before Anna moved to sit beside her.

'How does an inside picnic sound?' Anna asked as she wrapped an arm around her middle.

Her spirits were lifted when Adelaide gasped and some happiness returned in her eyes. 'I've never had an inside picnic before!' The four-year-old said to her. 'I really want one!'

'Well, to have an inside picnic we're going to need some picnic food. We're going to need some sandwiches, some biscuits, some fruit, some lemonade and – if you're a big girl and you help me – you can even pick some sweeties out of Mummy's sweetie tin.' Anna smiled.

'I'll help you, Mummy, I'll help you!' Adelaide reassured her.

The excitement in her little girl's voice made the love that Anna had for her deepen and made it impossible for her to resist leaning forward to brush a kiss against her hairline. 'Come on then, you.' She said after peeling back from her and taking one of her hands in hers, Adelaide leaving the settee with her before she began to leave the room with her.

It didn't take long at all for the two of them to make up some plates of sandwiches with different fillings, and once Anna had cut the last one into triangles she gave Adelaide a smile. 'You have been such a big help.' She told her whilst giving her hair a gentle stroke with her hand, Adelaide giggling as she gazed up at her with pure love in her eyes. 'Now, do you want to go and pick some sweeties out of my sweetie tin whilst I get the biscuits and lemonade?' She asked before Adelaide nodded and turned to head to the cupboard.

As her little girl set about finding the sweeties that she wanted she walked over to the refrigerator and got out the lemonade, she and Adelaide sharing another smile once she had found the biscuits and the two of them met back at the counter. 'Would you be able to do me one last favour, sweetheart?' She asked her after putting the lemonade down.

'Okay.' Adelaide replied.

'Would you take the biscuits in to Daddy and then come back and help me take all of the sandwiches in?' She handed the unopened packet of chocolate biscuits to her little girl.

After agreeing, Adelaide turned around and walked out of the kitchen so that she could take the biscuits through to the sitting room. She returned after just a minute and let her mother give her the plate of ham sandwiches before she and her mother walked out of the kitchen and into the sitting room, her father offering the two of them a smile as he laid down the last blanket. 'I'll just go and get the lemonade.' Anna said once she and Adelaide had set down the plates of sandwiches, John nodding before she hurried away.

'Is this better than going to the park in the rain, Addie?' He wrapped an arm around her waist once she had sat down beside him on the blanket, his hand running along the curve of her waist through her dress whilst she leaned against him and gazed up into his eyes.

'Yep!' She replied. 'Inside picnics are so fun, Daddy!'

'I know they are.' He chuckled. 'When I was little like you I did them a lot!'

Adelaide fell silent for a second before coming out with a surprised: 'You were small?'

'Yes, princess, I was.' He laughed as he gave her a squeeze. 'And so was Mummy.'

'Mummy was what?' The two of them looked up at Anna when her voice reached them.

'I was just telling Addie that – believe it or not – we were her age at one point.' He said.

Anna couldn't help but giggle as she lowered herself down onto the blankets and looked at their little girl. 'Yes, we were.' She admitted. 'I even have some photographs of when I was a tiny baby. Would you like to look at them after we've eaten lunch?' She inquired.

'Yes please, Mummy.' Adelaide replied with a nod.

'All right.' Anna smiled.

The three of them fell into a comfortable silence when they began to eat the food that was in front of them, but when Anna looked up at John and saw the devotion that shone in his eyes as he gazed at her she felt her heart race in her chest and said: 'What is it?'

'Nothing…' He shook his head after taking a sip of his lemonade, 'you're just so perfect.'

'Charmer.' She tutted before smirking at him.

As the rain continued to fall outside the cottage and she listened to the raindrops beat against the window, Anna smiled to herself because – even though, in the beginning, she had felt just as sad as Adelaide that their outing to the park had had to be postponed – as she relaxed and ate with her and John now, she couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

* * *

John smiled as he held his wife close to him on the settee with the arm that was around her waist that evening, Anna's head lying on his shoulder through his sweater as he held one of her earliest baby photographs in his hand. In the photograph she was snoozing in a Moses basket, her little hand resting next to her head whilst she sucked at a pacifier. 'You were just as beautiful as a baby as you are now.' He gave her waist a tender stroke.

'Dad used to tell me that out of all of the pictures that were taken of me when I was a baby, he loved this one the most.' She told him. 'I'm still not sure what's so special about this photograph or what made him love it more than he did the others, but it still makes me happy to know that he had a favourite photograph of me.' She shifted in the arms of her husband and tilted her head back against his shoulder so that she could look at him.

'You still miss him, don't you?' He sighed.

'I do.' She admitted. 'I can still remember sitting with Alice on the settee as Mum tried to explain to us that he had died in an accident at work. Alice was three at the time and so it didn't affect her as much because she didn't understand, but I had just turned six and so I understood what the word _dead_ meant. I knew it meant that Dad wouldn't come home again, anyway.' She felt tears gather in her eyes when John's lips met her hairline.

'What was he like? Your Dad?' He asked.

His question brought a smile to her lips. 'He wasn't as affectionate as you are, but Alice and I still adored him.' She admitted. 'It was rare that he ever cuddled with the two of us – he reserved them for when we had hurt ourselves or had a nightmare – but even so, we knew that he loved us both more than anything.' She fell quiet for a short while. 'His death changed everything. In less than a week Mum had drank seven bottles of alcohol.'

John winced at the thought. 'So, that was when you started caring for Alice's needs?'

'Once she had fallen asleep after drinking all night it was impossible to rouse her. I still remember Alice waking me up with her crying a few nights after Dad died.' Anna sighed. 'I laid there for a while, listening to her and waiting for Mum to go to her, but when her cries got worse and I realised that Mum hadn't gone to her I went in to her. I spent the rest of that night in her bed and that – I suppose – was the start of me caring for her.'

When she felt her husband brush a blonde lock of hair back beneath her ear she looked at him before her heart fluttered within her chest at the love that she saw in his eyes. 'That explains why you were always so motherly to the younger housemaids when I first came to Downton.' He told her in a soft voice. 'You had had a lot of practice, hadn't you?'

She nodded. 'A lot.'

'I'm so proud of you, you know.' He tightened his hold of her. 'You have been put through so much, Anna, but you haven't allowed that to change who you are. There are people in Yorkshire and the rest of the world who can't even imagine having what has happened to you in the past happen to them.' He gave her porcelain cheek a stroke. 'You are – by far – the bravest, strongest, most inspirational woman that I have ever known.' He told her.

Her eyes grew wet and a lump came to her throat at his words. 'I am?' She whimpered.

'You are,' He smiled, 'and nothing will ever make me think different of you.'

When a tear escaped her eye and scrolled down her cheek he brushed it off of her skin before unwinding his arm from around her middle and cupping her cheeks in his hands. 'I love you…' She whispered as she looked into his eyes and he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, a tearful whimper escaping her when he caught her lips in a soft and warm kiss.

The smack of their lips filled the silence of their sitting room when he ended their kiss.

'I love you too.' He leaned his forehead against hers.

After grazing his nose with her own a few times, Anna yawned and drew back from him.

'Bedtime?' He chuckled as he took one of her hands in his.

'I think so, Mr. Bates.' She giggled.

And so, after pressing a kiss onto the back of her hand, he helped her to rise from the settee before leading her across the sitting room and out into the hall so that he could guide her up the staircase to their bedroom that was situated right at the top of them.

* * *

Anna's little snores filled the silence of their bedroom whilst she slumbered in his arms not too long later, her head resting on the arm that he had eased beneath it before she had drifted off and her hand resting over his on her belly through her nightgown. As he laid behind her in the darkness he smiled to himself at knowing that – beneath his hand – there was a small yet definite bump. Their child was finally making its presence known.

Because she had rushed to get dressed so that her mother hadn't missed her train that morning she hadn't noticed that her belly had been somewhat curved, but when she had been changing into her nightgown after the two of them had entered their bedroom she had gasped. The sound had startled him for a second but when he had seen the smile on her face he had realised that there had been nothing to panic about. Not a single thing.

The two of them had been unable to stop stroking her stomach after sliding into bed at last and – even now, as Anna slept without a care in the world – he was still brushing his thumb against it through her nightgown. Everything was beginning to feel so much more real now. He knew that in the coming weeks her stomach would continue to swell and the beautiful child within her would continue to develop and grow. The thought amazed him.

He pressed a kiss to the back of Anna's head through her hair before snuggling further into her and resting his chin on her shoulder, his eyes falling closed when he buried his nose in the dip between her neck and shoulder and breathed in her scent. Oh, she smelt divine. As he drifted off with her and their child safe in his embrace that night, he was certain that his life was perfect in every way and that nothing was going to change that.

He had a gorgeous wife, a beautiful daughter, and a perfect little one waiting to arrive.

He was the luckiest fool on the face of the earth.

And that was something that he would never, _ever_ allow himself to forget.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter and I hope that you enjoyed it! I also hope that you'll drop me a review to let me know what you thought and I'll see you all in chapter 23! x**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: I want to say a massive, MASSIVE thank you to Lemacd for the inspiration for this chapter and also the inspiration for the next couple of chapters also. I never would have updated this fic tonight if it wasn't for you! :)**

* * *

'That reminds me,' John mumbled into his wife's hair as they spoke about their days in the aftermath of their lovemaking one night, his fingers caressing her smooth shoulder. 'Miss Baxter asked me to find out if she can come and call on you after lunch tomorrow.'

'Oh?' Anna tilted her head back against his chest to look at him with slight confusion in her eyes. 'It'd be so lovely to see her, but what does she want to come and visit me for?'

He shrugged whilst tucking an arm beneath his head. 'I haven't a clue, she didn't tell me, but I think it may have something to do with the love-sick grin a certain school teacher couldn't wipe off of his face when I came across him outside the post office yesterday.'

Anna let out a little gasp. 'You don't think he's "popped the question" at last, do you?'

'It's possible,' He nodded. 'I mean; they _have_ been walking out together for months now.'

She smiled. 'I love the thought of something good happening for the two of them. I feel as though neither of them have had much luck in life, so I'm glad that something's going right for them at last. I just hope that they end up as happy as we are.' She said to him.

' _Are_ you happy?' He asked after removing his arm from under his head and following the line of her jaw with his fingertips, the sparkle that he saw in her eyes causing his heart to swell with love for her before she turned over to rest on her front against his chest.

She teased the coarse dark curls that covered his chest with her fingers for a while as she looked into his eyes with nothing but love in her own. 'I'm the happiest woman in the world.' She replied. 'I'm a mother to the most beautiful little girl, I'm pregnant with the child I've longed for ever since you proposed and I'm the wife of the man of my dreams.'

'The man of your dreams is an insomniac with a bum leg?' He teased with a smirk.

'Mad as it sounds, yes,' She teased back before laughing and leaning forward to kiss him softly on the lips. 'He's much more than that, though. He's gentle and nice and loving and he makes me the best cups of tea in the _world._ He's also the most amazing daddy to our little girl and he makes me prouder of him with each passing day.' She kissed his throat.

When she pulled back so that she could meet his gaze again he traced the curve of her skull with his palm, nothing but love for her in his eyes as he brushed his fingers against the curls that hung down her back. 'Is that how you feel about me?' He asked her in one of the gentlest voices she had ever heard before she nodded her response with a smile.

'There isn't another man for me anywhere,' She admitted. 'You're the only one I want.'

'Oh, I love you.' He ran his hand along the length of her bare back.

'I love you too,' She whispered. 'Now…stop talking and make love to me.'

He didn't need to answer her with words.

Rolling her over and capturing her lips with his in a searing kiss was answer enough.

* * *

'Would you help me and take these biscuits over to Miss Baxter, darling?' Anna asked as she handed Adelaide a small plate with chocolate biscuits on the next day, her daughter nodding her response before she turned around and carried the plate over to the table.

'Thank you, Adelaide.' Miss Baxter said after the four-year-old had set the plate down.

'You're welcome.' Adelaide replied before looking up at her mother when she placed the tray with the teapot and teacups down beside the biscuits. 'Can I sit with you, mummy?' She asked as she patted her on the thigh after she had sat down opposite Miss Baxter.

Anna brushed a red curl back behind her ear. 'Of course you can, precious.'

She then rested both hands on her waist and lifted her into her lap before pouring milk into a glass and handing it to her. Adelaide thanked her for the drink before letting her head lean against her shoulder, a smile spreading across her lips when she looked across at Miss Baxter and pushed a cup of tea toward her. 'Is everything all right?' She asked.

'Oh yes, everything's fine.' The elder woman reassured her. 'I do apologise for dropping in on you like this, but I…I have something to tell you and I wasn't sure of when you and Adelaide were next coming to Downton.' She saw Anna cock her head to one side as she listened, her heart racing before she took a deep breath. 'Mr. Molesley asked me to marry him.'

The widest grin spread across Anna's lips. 'When?'

'Just the other day when we were out on a picnic together.' Miss Baxter explained.

'Did he give you a ring?' Anna raised her brow.

With a slight blush in her cheeks, Miss Baxter lifted her hand out of her lap and let her friend see the ring that was sat at the base of her ring finger. As she took in the sight of the engagement ring, Anna gasped. It was a slim yet beautiful gold band with a small diamond in the centre. 'Oh, it's beautiful. Don't you think so, Addie?' She kissed her hair.

Adelaide lifted her head off of her mother's shoulder to look at the ring. 'Pretty!'

Anna and Miss Baxter giggled in unison, causing Adelaide to copy, before they both took a sip of their tea. 'Do you both have an idea of when you want the wedding?' Anna asked.

'As soon as possible, really,' Miss Baxter told her. 'If things go well and we get both the license and our attire without too long a wait, we should be married in about…six weeks.'

'I'm so, so happy for you both,' Anna shook her head with a smile. 'Truly, I am.'

The elder woman tucked a dark strand of hair back behind her ear before settling back in her chair. 'I came to visit you because I wanted to tell you that he had proposed, but I…I also came to call on you because there's something that I want to ask you.' She said.

'Go on.' Anna nodded.

Miss Baxter looked at Adelaide for a moment before looking back at her. 'What I would like to ask you is if…if you would agree to Adelaide being the flower girl at the wedding?'

At the sound of her name, Adelaide looked over at her. 'What's a flowery girl?'

Miss Baxter smiled and met her gaze. 'A flower girl is a little girl, around your age, who walks down the aisle in front of _everyone_ in a nice dress and scatters little rose petals!'

Adelaide gasped at the idea and turned her head towards her mother, some of her milk almost spilling over the side of her glass. 'Please can I be a flowery girl, mummy, _please?_ I want to wear a pretty dress and drop rosy petals!' The hope in her eyes caused Anna's heart to melt and she knew that, even if she'd wanted to, she'd be unable to refuse her.

'Of course you can, my beautiful girl.' She drew the back of her hand down her cheek.

Adelaide squealed with happiness which made her mother and Miss Baxter laugh.

'I was also thinking that I would make the dress for her if you wouldn't mind that.' Miss Baxter said to Anna once the two of them had looked at each other again. 'It's just that I know how tired you are at the moment with being pregnant and everything. I also feel as though this will be my first and only chance of creating an outfit for a child to wear.'

Anna gave Adelaide a gentle squeeze. 'Miss Baxter, that's fine.'

'Are you certain?' The elder woman replied.

'Of course,' Anna said. 'You know better than anyone what you want the dress to be like.'

Miss Baxter released a sigh of relief. 'Is it all right if, when you have time, you measure Adelaide for me and write her measurements down so that Mr. Bates can bring them to Downton with him and give them to me? It would save so much time and I'd be grateful.'

'I'll get her measured for you once I've given her a bath tonight, so you'll be able to have her measurements when Mr. Bates gets to Downton in the morning.' Anna reassured her.

'You're a life-saver.' Miss Baxter smiled before taking a slow sip of her tea.

After giggling, Anna pressed her lips to her little girl's hairline and readjusted her hold of her when she cuddled against her. 'Are you feeling tired, sweetness?' She whispered.

Adelaide gave her a silent nod whilst rubbing at her left eye with the back of her hand.

'I should get going so that you can get on with your afternoon.' Miss Baxter said.

She and Anna then rose from the table, Anna taking the empty glass from Adelaide and setting it down on the table before propping her daughter on her hip and allowing her to wrap her arms around her neck. The two women then exited the kitchen and made their way to the front door so that Miss Baxter could get her coat and purse from the hooks.

'Thank you again for having me.' She smiled once Anna had opened the door and she had stepped out onto the doorstep, Anna sharing her smile whilst she swayed with Adelaide.

'It was a pleasure.' Anna shook her head. 'You're welcome here whenever you like.'

Miss Baxter reached out to stroke Adelaide's cheek. 'Goodbye, sweetheart.'

'Bye-bye.' The four-year-old waved. 'Will you tell my daddy I love him?'

Miss Baxter nodded. 'Of course I will.'

'Thank you.' Adelaide replied before nuzzling her mother's neck.

'I'll see you soon, Anna.' Miss Baxter said before turning on her heel and walking away.

Once she had watched the elder woman walk up the ramp and turn the corner to walk up the street, Anna closed the front door before turning her head in Adelaide's direction. 'Right then, my sleepy girl…' She kept her voice gentle. 'Do you want to have a nap in the big bed with me? Or would you like to have a nap in your own bed?' She raised her brow.

'I want to nap with you.' Adelaide said. 'I like snuggles.'

Anna felt her heart swell before she kissed her temple. 'Come on then.'

She then turned and started to ascend the staircase with Adelaide on her hip, nothing but happiness in her eyes as she thought about how her sweet little girl was going to be a flower girl when Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter got married in just over a months' time.

She was going to be the most beautiful flower girl in all the world.

That, she was certain of.

* * *

It was late that evening, not too long after Anna had gone into the bathroom to shower, when John was lying on his back on their little girl's bed with Adelaide fast asleep on his chest. When he had allowed her to move to lie on her chest when he had been reading a chapter of her Winnie the Pooh book to her he hadn't expected her to fall asleep there, but now she had he felt as though he couldn't move. She just seemed so at peace there.

Her head was tucked beneath his chin, right where it had been when she had settled to listen to him read to her, and her hand was resting at the side of her head on his collar bone. He was able to feel her silken curls brush the underside of his jaw every time she took a deep breath and shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, a smile curling his lips whenever she mumbled incoherently in her sleep. Something her mother did also.

Even though she and Anna weren't blood related the two of them were so alike in quite a number of ways. They both loved to fall asleep with their head tucked beneath his chin, they both loved to curl up in his lap and snuggle with him whenever they were sleepy yet reluctant to go to bed and they both made the same gentle sounds whenever they slept. He cherished them both more than he could explain and he knew that would never alter.

When he had gotten home from Downton that night he had been greeted by Adelaide at the door, as per usual, but this time there had been excitement in her eyes and she had been unable to stand still. Before he had even had chance to remove his hat and his coat she had told him that she was going to be a flower girl at Miss Baxter's wedding. He had loved the way that her little face had lit up when he'd said that that was just incredible.

He hadn't been putting it on for her either.

Even though the wedding wasn't for another two months almost, he couldn't wait for her to walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress. He knew that Anna would pin her hair up in a radiant style and that – even though there would be other little girls there – he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of her. He already knew that Anna would cry when the two of them watched her float down the aisle, but would _he_ cry? He truly wasn't too certain.

His little girl was growing up _far_ too fast.

When she shifted on his chest after a couple of minutes he nuzzled a kiss into her curls before smiling when she tilted her head back somewhat and huffed contentedly against his throat. 'My princess…' He whispered into the darkness whilst bringing his fingertips through her fiery curls, her hair slithering through the gaps in his fingers just like silk.

'What happened to warming up the bed?' The sound of his wife's voice from the doorway to their daughter's bedroom caught his attention after several quiet minutes had flown.

He turned his head on Adelaide's pillow before chuckling when he saw Anna's smile. 'She just had to find out what happened to Tigger at the end of the chapter.' He said to her.

'And she couldn't have found out tomorrow night?' She raised her brow.

'We have a very persistent daughter, my darling.' He smiled as she entered the room.

'Mmm…or Adelaide has a pushover for a father.' She teased.

He shook his head at her. 'Cheeky.'

'You love me.' She lowered herself down onto the edge of the bed.

He tutted before reaching up to caress her cheek. 'Yes…yes, I do.'

After leaning down to press her lips to his in a languid kiss, Anna sat up again and began to stroke Adelaide's back with her palm through her nightgown. 'I know we adopted her a long time ago now, but there are still times when I can't believe that she's really ours.' She gazed down at her sleeping daughter, nothing but love for her sparkling in her eyes.

'You feel as though you'll wake up and we'll still be waiting to bring her home?' He asked.

She brought her gaze back to his at his words before nodding. 'Yes, exactly.'

'I still have those moments too.' He told her. 'She's just so perfect, isn't she?'

'She really is.' She agreed. 'She's going to be the perfect big sister, too.'

He chuckled. 'Is she still after a little sister?'

'Yep.' She laughed. 'She was kissing my belly earlier and begging the baby to be a girl.'

With his free hand, John stroked the slight roundness of her stomach.

'She's going to love it whether it's a girl or not.' He told her. 'I know she is.'

'I do want her to have a sister at one point.' She admitted. 'I loved having a little sister.'

'Did you?' He smiled.

She nodded. 'When Alice and I were little I used to style her hair and she used to give me buttons as payment. There was one time, however, when I...I thought that she could do with a haircut and so when I found the scissors that mum always used for sewing, I...'

'You didn't.' He had to bite back a guffaw.

'I did.' She winced. 'I got such a paddling off of mum, but I didn't care because I was too busy laughing at the fact that Alice absolutely loved her new haircut. It took _hours_ for mum to get her hair looking half-decent again and I was banned from touching scissors.'

John chuckled before taking her hand in his. 'Do you still keep in contact with Alice?'

'Sometimes.' She admitted. 'That was how I found out that my stepfather _did_ go to the police about how I cut him. She wrote to me when I was in prison and said that, if I had had to go to trial, she would have come and taken the stand to speak in my defence. She had apparently, when I was ten, seen our stepfather brush up against me in the garden.'

'Was it just you that he…' John trailed off.

She gave him a silent nod.

'You are so strong, my darling; you know that, don't you?' He whispered.

She nodded whilst he brushed his thumb against her cheek. 'You never let me forget it.'

'That's because I never _want_ you to forget it.' He sighed. 'Our little girl is going to grow up to be such a strong, loving, golden hearted woman because she has you for a mother.'

'Do you really think so?' Her voice trembled.

He smiled. 'I do. With all my heart.'

'I love you so much.' She covered his hand with her own on her cheek.

'And I love you.' He reassured her.

The two of them sat in silence like that for quite some time then, Adelaide's snores the only sound to be heard until Anna yawned and took her husband's hand off of her cheek. 'It's time for _both_ of us to go to bed now, Mr. Bates. _You_ have work in the morning and _I_ have a certain someone to take care of who thinks it's appropriate to wake with the sun.'

John chuckled whilst holding their little girl close to him.

'Come on,' She coaxed. 'Lie her down and come and get some sleep.'

She rose from the bed then and walked over to the door so that he could lift Adelaide off of his chest and lie her down on the bed, her lips curling into a smile as she watched him get off of the bed and cover her little frame with her quilt. 'Goodnight, sweet-pea.' She heard him whisper before he kissed her on the forehead and walked away from her.

'She's such an angel.' She whispered when the two of them looked over at the bed.

'When she's asleep.' He teased whilst wrapping an arm around her waist.

Anna laughed. 'We might have a whirlwind for a daughter, but she's _such_ a good girl.'

'She is,' He kissed the side of her head. 'And she's going to be the prettiest flower girl.'

'Isn't she just?' She breathed.

The two of them then shared a smile before she unwound his arm from around her waist and took his hand in hers. 'We should follow her example and go and get some sleep. I'm so tired and you know that I can't sleep unless your arms are around my waist.' She said.

'Six years and you're _still_ using the exact same line.' He followed her out of the room.

'Six years and that exact same line _still_ works.' She shook her head with a smirk.

Their quiet laughter echoed through the silent cottage after she had closed the door to Adelaide's bedroom somewhat, John pressing the sweetest of kisses onto his love's lips before she opened their bedroom door and pulled him into the room to prepare for bed.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter and once again thank you SO much to Lemacd for your help! I hope that you all enjoyed reading and that you'll drop me a review to let me know what you thought. See you all soon :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: I hope that you all enjoy :)**

* * *

From where she was sat on the settee in her sitting room a little over a fortnight later, Anna was unable to keep the smile from her lips as she watched Miss Baxter make small alterations to the gorgeous flower girl dress she had made for Adelaide. The dress was made from a cream chiffon material and, on the skirt, there were countless red flowers that had been embroidered into it. The sleeves were made from lace the same colour as the dress and the dress had a neckline which just about covered the base of her throat.

It had warmed her heart to see the awe in Adelaide's eyes when Miss Baxter had shown her the dress after arriving at the cottage a short while ago, but she was sure that her heart was just about to burst as she saw her little girl in her dress now. There wasn't a single word that she could think of that really summed up how breath taking she looked. Her hair had grown so much over the last couple of weeks and the ends of her curls now grazed her shoulders. She had been thinking about trimming it, but now she was unsure.

When she and Miss Baxter had been talking over a cup of tea before she had gotten to work on fitting the dress to Adelaide the elder woman had suggested that flowers were braided into her hair. The mental image that she had created of Adelaide in her chiffon dress with her hair braided with little flowers through it had made her heart race. She would look so precious. The wedding was in just over a month and she knew that – if she left it alone and didn't cut it – her little girl's hair would have gown a couple more inches.

It wouldn't kill her to wait until after the wedding to neaten up Adelaide's curls.

Besides, the longer her hair the more flowers she could braid into it.

'There we are,' The sound of Miss Baxter's voice brought her out of her thoughts. 'Why don't you go and show your mummy and see what she thinks?' She saw her friend caress Adelaide's arm with the palm of her hand before her little girl walked right over to her.

'Look, mummy!' Adelaide said with happiness in her eyes.

'Goodness me,' Anna rested her hands on her little girl's waist through the dress, taking care not to press on the pins that were in it. 'Aren't you the most beautiful flower girl?'

Adelaide giggled in response before letting her mother bring her to sit down in her lap.

'I'll raise the hem a little so that it's not too long for her and she doesn't end up slipping when she's walking down the aisle.' Miss Baxter smiled once she had returned her things to her button box and sat down in the comfy armchair that was across from the settee. 'You and Mr. Bates are both so blessed to have Addie and another little one on the way.'

Anna detected a hint of sadness in her voice when she said those words.

'I just wish Mr. Molesley and I had met sooner. He would have been a wonderful father.' Her Ladyship's maid said before she took a sip from the teacup that was sat beside her.

'Miss Baxter…' Anna sighed as she rested her chin atop Adelaide's head whilst snuggling with her. 'I'm not trying to pressure you into adopting at all, truly I'm not, but if you do like the thought of having children the process is so simple. I imagine that it'd be easier for you and Mr. Molesley to be accepted as adoptive parents than it was for me and Mr. Bates, too. There are so many children at the adoption centre that are looking for some place to go. Like I said, I'm not trying to pressure you into it, but why not have a think?'

Miss Baxter looked at her in silence as she thought about her words for a little while. 'I just don't think that adopting a child is doable for the two of us. I want to keep working at Downton and Mr. Molesley loves working at the schoolhouse. I just don't think either of us would have the time to give such a young – not to mention nervous – child the care that it needs.' She lifted her tea cup to her lips and took a slow sip of her steaming tea.

'There _are_ some school age children there too…' Anna continued before realising that it wasn't her place to continue pressing her. She had put the idea of adoption in her mind; now it was up to Miss Baxter whether she did think about adopting a child or she didn't.

Once she had sat in a comfortable silence with her for a while, Adelaide tilted her head back on her chest and looked up at her. 'Can we go and see daddy at his work, mummy? I want to tell him that I miss him and I want him to see my dress.' Her little girl told her.

'Daddy told me that he's quite busy today before he left this morning, darling, so maybe we should leave him to get on with his work,' She replied before sighing and drawing her closer when her face fell. 'He'll be home in four hours, Addie, that's not very long at all.'

Adelaide gave her a quiet nod in response and rested her head on her shoulder.

'I gather that she and Mr. Bates are rather close.' Miss Baxter piped up.

'You should see them together.' Anna laughed. 'Just the other afternoon, I came in here to find the two of them sneaking biscuits out of the biscuit tin before dinner. Who was it who ate the first biscuit, Addie?' She smirked when she looked down at her little girl.

Adelaide giggled. 'It was daddy! The biscuits were too high up for me.'

'Like partners in crime, the two of them.' Anna tutted whilst looking at Miss Baxter.

'You wouldn't have it any other way though, would you?' Miss Baxter asked with a sigh.

'No, I wouldn't,' Anna shook her head. 'I most certainly wouldn't.'

* * *

'Is everything all right?' John asked whilst slipping his arms around his wife from behind when she was stood at the sink in the kitchen that evening, his lips brushing a warm kiss against the side of her neck when she sighed and let herself lean back against his chest. 'You were rather quiet at dinner, my darling, so I was wondering what was on your mind.'

Once she had finished cleaning the dinner plate that was in her hand she set it down on the drying rack and turned her head in his direction on his shoulder. 'I was just thinking about a conversation that I had with Miss Baxter earlier on.' She sighed. 'She said that she wishes that she and Mr. Molesley had met a lot sooner because she would have liked to have children. I mentioned adopting to her, but I'm not too sure if I was impertinent.'

'There are many words to describe you, Anna May Bates, but impertinent could never be one of them. 'Miss Baxter was fine when she got back to Downton and when I asked her how the fitting had gone she told me that she had loved coming to call on you and Addie.'

'Really?' She raised her brow before sighing in relief when he nodded. 'Oh, I'm so glad.'

He offered her a smile whilst lowering his head to press a kiss onto her lips, her hum of satisfaction prompting him to tighten his hold of her before he pulled back and laid his chin on her shoulder. 'So…am I allowed to know what Addie's dress looks like?' He asked.

'I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy.' She smirked.

'By Miss Baxter?' He nuzzled her neck.

'No,' She giggled. 'By our daughter. She wants it to be a big surprise for you.'

'Does she now?' He replied. 'I won't tell her if you give me a little hint, you know.'

She gave him a pointed look with amusement sparkling in her eyes. 'I'll do no such thing.'

He let out an exaggerated groan at that. 'I suppose I'll just have to be patient then.'

When the two of them heart the pat of bare feet against the tiled floor they turned to look in Adelaide's direction, a smile creeping across both of their faces as they watched her walk over to them with her stuffed dog in her hand. 'Daddy,' She whimpered quietly.

John unwound his arms from around his wife's waist in order to bend down and lift their little girl up onto his hip, Adelaide lacing her legs around his middle and her arms around his neck once before she settled down. 'What are you doing awake at this hour, misses?' He raised his brow as he ran his hand over her shoulder-length curls and held her close.

'I had a nightmare.' She yawned. 'I thought you and mummy left me.'

He and Anna shared a look before his wife dried her hands on her apron and rested one of them on the curve of their daughter's cheek. 'That's all it was, precious, a bad dream. We're still here and neither of us are ever going to leave you, I promise. If you wake up and we don't come to you right away, that doesn't mean we've left you.' She soothed her.

'Mr. Woof and I were scared, mummy.' Adelaide sighed. 'He wanted me to find you.'

Anna couldn't help but giggle at that. 'Well, perhaps you and Mr. Woof won't feel scared if, if it's all right with your daddy, the two of you come and sleep with us in the big bed.'

'Can we, daddy?' Adelaide asked with hope in her eyes when she looked at him. 'Please?'

John gave her a squeeze. 'That depends. Mr. Woof isn't a sleep-barker, is he?'

'No,' She shook her head, her curls bouncing. 'He doesn't bark when I give him snuggles.'

'That's all right then.' He teased before pressing his lips to her cheek in a delicate kiss. 'How about you go to your mummy now, my love, and let her get you settled upstairs? I'll be up just as soon as I've locked up the doors and sorted out the fire.' He smiled at her.

Rather than answering him with words, Adelaide reached out to her mother with a yawn. 'Come here, my baby girl.' Anna kept her voice soft as she spoke to her, her lips nuzzling a kiss into her hair before she let her hide her face in the side of her neck and she met her husband's gaze. 'Are you certain you don't need help? I don't mind if you do, darling.'

'When I get upstairs I want to see you tucked up in bed.' He shook his head in response.

'I love you, John.' She rose up onto her toes to kiss him on the lips.

He smiled. 'I love you too.'

He then watched as his wife turned with Adelaide on her hip, the love he possessed for them both deepening when he saw Anna take their daughter upstairs toward their room.

* * *

When he made it up to the bedroom that he shared with his wife after locking the back and front doors and putting out the fire in the hearth, John smiled as he shut the door behind him and began to walk over to the bed. It hadn't taken too long for him to finish all of his tasks, he knew that, yet slumber had still arrived to take his girls in that time.

The two of them were now sound asleep together on Anna's side of the bed, their sweet little girl's hand lying on her mother's chest through her nightgown whilst her head was cushioned on her shoulder and she snored into the side of her neck. Anna, as she usually did whenever Adelaide slept with them, had her arms laced snug around her tiny frame.

He kept his steps light so not to disturb the two of them as he walked around to Anna's nightstand in order to turn off the lamp that was sat on it. 'Sleep well, sweetheart…' He whispered whilst easing a fallen hair out from her face after revelling in her perfection. Before coming away from her he drew the quilt further over her to help keep her warm.

It didn't take him long to change out of his uniform and into his pyjamas before slipping into bed beside Adelaide and turning of the lamp on his own bedside table, a sigh falling from his lips when he laid down behind his little girl and combed his fingers through her hair a couple of times. He then pressed a kiss to the back of her head through the curls he discovered there, a smile curving his lips when he draped one arm over her and Anna.

'John?' He heard his wife mumble into the darkness of their bedroom.

'Shh…' He stroked her waist through the covers. 'I'm here now, darling, go to sleep.'

Anna settled down beneath the covers and brought Adelaide a little closer to her chest. 'Night-night, John.' She whispered after closing her eyes and kissing Adelaide's hairline.

'Night-night, Anna.' He whispered. 'Sweet dreams, my love.'

The two of them then drifted into a comfortable silence on both sides of their precious little girl, the sound of Adelaide's soft breathing lulling them both into a pleasant sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading chapter 24. I apologise for it being such a short chapter once again, I really do want to write longer chapters but I'm having such writer's block at the moment. Thank you again to Lemacd for the wonderful idea you gave me, which also continued on into the next chapter-or-so! I wouldn't have been able to do this without you. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and that you'll drop me a review to let me know what you thought of it. I'll see you all soon x**


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 25! I hope that you all enjoy!**

* * *

Even though there was a dull ache behind her eyes and she was unable to inhale through her nose there was still a smile on Anna's lips as she laid in bed next to Adelaide, one of her arms wrapped around her little girl whilst the fingers on her free hand continued to caress her cheek. She couldn't believe that she had started to feel off now. Three days before Miss Baxter was to marry Mr. Molesley and Adelaide was to be their flower girl.

Whenever she thought about the fact that there was a chance that she wouldn't be well enough to watch her little girl walk down the aisle she felt her heart sink, but John had said that he believed that if she rested and kept hydrated she would be better in time. He had taken the day off of work, bless him, to take care of her and clean downstairs a bit so that there was one less thing on her mind. She knew she was blessed to have him.

There were some men who would make their wife cook and scrub even if they _were_ sick.

Not John Bates, though.

He wouldn't even let her lift a kettle when she was unwell.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Adelaide snuggled closer to her beneath the covers, the hold that she had of her tightening before she pressed her lips to her brow and sighed against her. She was taking a risk, letting her lie with her when she was sick, she knew that. She also knew, however, that when Adelaide wanted to have a cuddle off of her there was no changing her mind. 'You give such nice cuddles, Addie.' She told her.

Adelaide blessed her with a smile at that before, knowing that she couldn't kiss her lips because she was ill, kissing her on the chin. 'Will cuddling with me make you feel better, mummy?' She asked whilst reaching for her mother's hair and wrapping the fair strands around her index finger, her mother sighing in response as she stroked her back gently.

'Cuddles, medicine, tea and sleep is all I need to get better, darling.' Anna replied.

Adelaide played with her hair for a few more seconds before turning in the arms of her mother and getting Mr. Woof from her father's side of the bed. She then turned again and laid her stuffed dog between them. 'You can sleep with Mr. Woof if you want to. He helps _me_ to go to sleep when it's bedtime.' She told her whilst settling down in her hold.

'Thank you, Addie, that's so kind of you.' Anna whispered rather nasally.

'Go bye-byes, mummy.' Adelaide told her when she started to stroke her hair once more.

After giggling and snuggling further down beneath the quilt, Anna let her eyes close and felt the ache in her head lessen in an instant. As she laid in silence beside her little girl she realised that taking a short nap wouldn't do much harm after all and so, with a sigh, she focused on the sensation of Adelaide stroking her hair and felt herself begin to slip into slumber. In no time at all she was sound asleep, her soft snores filling the bedroom.

Even after her mother had fallen asleep next to her, Adelaide kept on stroking her hair. Her father always said that her mother was a special person and she knew he was right. Her mother was the loveliest person she knew and she gave the best kisses and cuddles. When she woke up scared at night and cried her mother always came to her and sang to her whilst holding her in her embrace until she stopped crying. She was her best friend.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the door to the bedroom creaked open and her father walked in, but she sat up a little and gave him a smile when he closed the door before lying down in her mother's arms again. Once he had make it over to the bed her father sat down on the edge of it, his gaze landing on her mother before he ran the back of his hand down her soft cheek. 'Are you looking after mummy?' He turned to her.

'She's sleepy and sniffly and has a poorly head, daddy.' She whispered with a nod.

'She has a bit of a cold, my darling, but as long as she gets some sleep and drinks lots of water she'll be fine,' He reassured her just before he leaned down to leave a kiss to the side of his wife's head. 'Perhaps we should leave her to sleep for a few hours. Would you like to come downstairs with me? I need to finish cleaning the kitchen, but you could sit at the table and make her a get well soon card to give to her when she gets up later on.'

The sparkle in her eyes told him that she was in favour of his idea.

'Will you help me when you've finished your cleaning?' She raised her brow. 'I'm not very good at drawing yet and I want the cottage to be on the card. You could draw it for me.'

John nodded. 'Of course I'll help you.'

'Will you sit with mummy? I need to get my crayons.' She stroked her mother's hair.

'Yes, princess, I'll look after mummy whilst you run and get them.' He replied.

Adelaide then wriggled out of her mother's hold and out from beneath the covers, John chuckling when she gave him a little kiss on the cheek before getting off of the bed and walking over to the door. He turned to his wife once their daughter had left the room, a smile curling his lips at seeing that she was both comfortable and content. 'You rest for as long as you need to,' He whispered whilst brushing his hand over her hair. 'I love you.'

He then leaned down to press his lips to her temple before leaving a trail of light kisses down to her cheek. When he heard their little girl re-enter the bedroom he looked over at her and laughed when she gave the box of crayons that was held in her hand a shake. 'We can go downstairs now, daddy,' She told him. 'The white paper is in the sitting room.'

'Come on, then.' He replied whilst rising from the bed before he drew the covers a little further over her mother, turned on his heel and walked over to her in order to take her hand in his. The two of them then walked out of the silent bedroom, John ensuring that the door was closed before he led her along the landing and down the wooden staircase.

* * *

It was some time later when Adelaide was sat at the kitchen table whilst she added the finishing touches to the card that she had made for her mother, her tongue peeking out from the side of her mouth as she used her red crayon to colour in the coat her mother was wearing. Before she had begun to draw herself and her parents on the front of the card her father had sat with her and sketched their cottage in the background for her.

She thought he was such a good artist.

He had also written a little note on the inside for her mother too so that, once she had given it to her, she would be able to read what it said. Now that she was almost finished with the card and her father was almost finished with his cleaning the thought of giving the card to her mother made her feel so excited. 'Have you almost finished drawing the card for mummy, princess?' She glanced up from the card when her father spoke to her.

'I've finished, daddy, do you want to see?' She asked him.

When he nodded she got down from the chair she was sitting on and headed over to him with the card in her hand, the pride that she felt in herself sparkling in her eyes as she gave him the card after reaching him. She clasped both hands in front of herself whilst he looked at the drawing she had done on the front of the card, a gentle giggle escaping her when he looked at her and stroked her cheek. 'My clever little artist.' John beamed.

'Will mummy like it?' She wrapped her arms around his good leg.

'Mummy is going to _love_ it; do you know why?' He ran his free hand over her hair.

She shook her head.

'Because _you_ made it for her and she loves you to pieces.' He told her.

The smile that spread across his little girl's face made his heart swell with love for her.

'Can we go and give it to her?' She raised her brow. 'Now?'

'We can,' He gave her back the card that she had created for her mother before taking her free hand in his and running his thumb across her knuckles. 'You need to be so quiet when we're up there, precious, just in case mummy is asleep. We don't want to wake her.'

Adelaide looked up at him whilst following him to the stairs. 'Can I give her a kiss?'

'You can give her a kiss on the cheek,' He said as he began to guide her up the staircase. 'We don't need you feeling unwell three days before you have to be a flower girl do we?'

'No, daddy,' She replied. 'I would be sneezing all the time!'

He chuckled. 'You would!'

Once the two of them had reached the top of the staircase he pressed his index finger to his lips to remind her to keep quiet before opening the door to the bedroom, his gaze falling on his wife as he and Adelaide entered the room. Anna was sat up with her pillow supporting her back as she put a pill in her mouth and she gave him a warm smile before taking a sip from her glass of water. 'Hello, you.' He whispered whilst closing their door.

'Hello.' She replied once she had set the glass back down on her nightstand.

'How're you feeling?' He asked as he led their daughter over to their bed before picking her up and setting her on it, the back of his hand finding her forehead after he had sat down on the edge of the mattress. 'Your temperature's come back down, so that's good.'

Anna smiled. 'I do _feel_ a little better. I've got an awful headache, though.'

'Addie made something for you when we were downstairs.' He turned to their little girl.

'Did you, my darling?' Anna laced her arms around Adelaide once she'd crawled up to her.

Adelaide gave the card that she had made to her mother after settling her head on her shoulder and snuggling into her, Anna letting out a little gasp as she took in the sight of the drawing that was on the front of it. 'Oh, Addie, it's beautiful! Would you like to tell me what everything is?' Adelaide nodded before she pointed to one of the stick figures.

'This is you and me and daddy and me in front of our house. Daddy did the house for me because it was too hard,' Anna looked up at her husband with love in her eyes whilst her little girl went on. 'I wanted to put the baby in the picture too, but I don't know what it looks like.' Her hold of Adelaide tightened when she tilted her head back to look at her.

'That's all right, sweet-pea,' She reassured her. 'You've done such a wonderful job!'

Adelaide stretched up to peck her cheek. 'Read the inside, mummy, read the inside!'

After drawing her daughter closer, Anna opened the card and began to read the words.

 _To mummy,_

 _I'm sorry you're poorly, but I hope you're better soon so that we can play dollies._

 _Love, Addie._

'Thank you _so_ much for my card, Addie, I love it.' She gave her forehead a delicate kiss.

'Will you be better in the morning?' Adelaide asked as she cuddled up to her.

'I'm hoping so,' Anna stroked her back. 'I'm feeling a little better already thanks to you.'

Adelaide smiled whilst resting her little hand on the swell of her mother's belly through her nightgown. 'Is the baby having its nap, mummy?' She asked her in the gentlest voice.

'You know, angel, I think it might be.' Anna replied. 'It's been still for a few minutes now.'

Knowing this, Adelaide lowered her head and pressed a kiss to the proof of her younger sibling. 'Have nice bye-byes, baby,' She whispered against her mother's belly. 'I love you.'

'Come to think of it, Addie, I think it's time for your nap as well.' John said eventually.

'But daddy, I'm not tired.' Adelaide whined before a large yawn escaped her.

Both Anna and John chuckled at that before she ran her hand over Adelaide's red curls.

'I think you might be a _little bit_ tired, sweetness.' She smiled.

Adelaide giggled.

'If you can run to your room and get into bed in the time that it takes me to get mummy some more water, I'll read you a story before you need to go to sleep.' John said to her.

It took seconds for her to leave her mother's arms and get down from the bed after he had said those words, he and Anna watching with amusement and adoration in their eyes as she hurried over to the door and opened it. 'I love how that always does it.' Anna said.

'She does love those stories.' John smiled.

'She loves you _reading_ her those stories,' She reached for his hand. 'That's just another thing we have in common. We both love it when you read to us at night because you have such a soothing voice. You might not believe it, but you do.' She gave his hand a squeeze.

He looked at her in silence for a few seconds before moving closer to her on top of the covers and releasing her hand so that he could cup her face. 'Come here.' He said softly.

'I have a cold.' She reminded him.

'I doubt one kiss is going to kill me,' He smirked. 'Now come here.'

She rolled her eyes in response before sitting up somewhat and allowing him to kiss her lower lip, her eyes fluttering closed and one of her hands finding his chest as he did so. The two of them shared several slow and warm kisses, the smack of their lips filling the silence of their bedroom when they parted sometime later and she leaned back into her pillow again. 'If you get up with a cough and a blocked nose in a few days, it's your fault.'

He chuckled in response whilst stroking her face. 'It will have been worth it.'

'I love you.' She said.

'I love you too,' He leaned in to kiss her hairline before taking the empty glass from her nightstand and rising from the edge of their bed. 'Now, I'll just go and fill this up again.'

She watched him limp out of their bedroom with the glass in his hand then and snuggled further down beneath the quilt, a quiet sigh slipping from her throat as she clasped her hands together in her lap and settled. She couldn't have adored him more if she'd tried.

He was her best friend.

He was the loveliest man in the world in her opinion and her love for him would never die.

Never.

* * *

John sighed into the darkness of the room when he heard Anna huff in annoyance after she had turned over for what seemed like the tenth time that night. It had been almost two hours since the two of them had settled down to sleep and yet she was still finding it nigh-on-impossible to find a comfortable position to lie in, let alone fall asleep. If she wasn't moving around then she was coughing and sneezing and he felt so terrible for her.

She rolled onto her back after a few seconds had passed and sighed as she looked up at the ceiling before turning her head in his direction. 'I don't mind spending tonight in the guest room, you know.' She admitted after the two of them had laid in silence for a few moments, her voice sounding somewhat hoarse from all the coughing she had been doing.

'Don't be daft.' He whispered.

'I'm not,' She turned onto her side to face him properly. 'I'm keeping you awake.'

He reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. 'You're ill, sweetheart, it isn't your fault and I don't want you thinking that you're annoying me because you're not. You're not going down to the guest room to lie awake like this for hours.' He said to her.

'I just want to sleep,' She whimpered. 'I'm so tired.'

He brushed several strands of her hair out of her face before feathering gentle kisses over her forehead and temple. 'How about I go and open the window to let some cool air in and you take off your nightgown so that you're just sleeping in your slip? I think you'll feel a little more comfortable then, darling.' He told her, his lips grazing her silken skin.

'It's worth a go.' She replied.

He pulled back the quilt then and climbed out of bed before limping to their window and opening it, his lips curling up into a smile when he turned around and watched as his wife sat up and pulled her nightgown off over her head before dropping it to the floor. Once he had returned to their bed and settled down again he gave her cheek a tender stroke.

'Does that feel better?' He looked into her eyes.

She nodded. 'I feel a little cooler now.'

'Good,' He smiled. 'Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?'

'I think so,' She laid her hand on his chest. 'Thank you for looking after me.'

He grazed her nose with his. 'You're my wife. I love you and caring for you is my job.'

'I'm so blessed,' She whispered with a smile before her eyes fell shut and she relaxed.

'So am I, my darling,' He replied. 'So am I…'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter, I'm so grateful! The next chapter will be Miss Baxter and Mr. Molesley's wedding! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and - as usual - please drop me a review if you have the time to let me know what you thought. See you all soon :) x**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Hi all! I apologise that this chapter has taken over a month to go up, but I've had the worst case of writer's block. This chapter has literally been in the works since I updated the last one. I promise that the next chapter will be up far sooner though and I hope that you all enjoy this one :)**

* * *

John felt his heart swell within his chest as he fought to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor after entering the bedroom that he shared with Anna the morning after next, his gaze fixed on Adelaide as she stood before him in her flower-girl dress and beamed at him. For the last few weeks – whenever he had thought about her in that dress – he'd known that she would look breath-taking, but as he looked at her now he was astounded.

She looked so grown up.

There were white flowers running through the braid that Anna had somehow succeeded in getting her wild curls into, there was a pair of small heels on her feet which made her look a little taller and around her neck there was one of her mother's necklaces. He had to admit, however, that out of all his little girl had on his favourite thing was the dress. He loved the lace sleeves, the high neckline and the flowers that covered the skirt of it.

'Beautiful, isn't she?' The sound of his wife's voice and the feeling of her hand coming to settle on his lower back through his waistcoat brought him out of his thoughts, a gentle smile curling his lips as he wrapped his arm around her and stroked her swollen stomach.

'She is,' He nodded. 'Just like her mother.'

Anna gave him a good-natured eye-roll before he brushed his lips tenderly against hers.

'I'm a flowery girl, daddy, I'm a flowery girl!' Adelaide said to him when their kiss broke.

'You _are_ a flower-girl, my darling!' He chuckled whilst reaching out with his free hand to give her cheek a stroke, his love for her deepening when she covered his hand with hers and nuzzled her cheek against his palm. 'I think you might be the most beautiful flower-girl in all the world!' Adelaide's eyes danced at that before she looked up at her mother.

'Do you think so, mummy?' She asked.

Anna smiled at her. 'I do! You look so lovely and so grown up, sweetheart.'

Adelaide practically glowed with pride before releasing her father's hand so that it fell from her cheek. Just then, the telephone started to ring down in the hall and Anna left her husband's hold before saying: 'That'll be Mrs. Hughes. She said that she'd telephone to let me know what time Pratt will be here with the motor to take us all to the church.'

She then rose up onto her tiptoes to peck his cheek before exiting the room and leaving him alone with Adelaide. 'Daddy, please can we have a cuddle?' Adelaide raised her brow.

'I would love to have a cuddle with you,' He nodded before sliding his hand into hers and leading her over to the bed, his little girl smiling at him when he placed his hands on her waist after sitting down on the bed and lifted her to sit on his knee. Once she had made herself comfortable she snuggled into him, his lips leaving a kiss to her temple when she laid her head on his shoulder. 'You aren't meant to be prettier than the bride, you know.'

Adelaide giggled as he tickled her waist through her dress. 'You're so silly, daddy.'

He couldn't help but smile as she shook her head at him.

'I can't believe you're going to be the one getting married one day.' He told her.

Sensing some sadness in his voice, she frowned before saying: 'Why are you sad, daddy?'

'I'm not sad, exactly, darling,' He replied whilst drawing her further into his embrace. 'I just know that, when you're older, you're going to meet a boy who loves you and wants to marry you and then I'll be the one to give you to him. I just don't want you to get older.'

Adelaide sat in silence for a moment as she curled her fingers into his waistcoat. 'What if I don't get married, daddy? If I don't get married, then you won't need to feel upset.'

His sweet little girl.

Always thinking of others.

'You _are_ going to get married when you're older, Addie, and when that day comes I won't be sad. When you get married it's going to be to a man who loves you and wants to keep you safe nearly as much as I do,' He smiled. 'You won't be getting married for some time yet though, so I have you all to myself until that day comes.' He nuzzled her neck softly.

'Daddy?' She said when he looked into her eyes again.

'Yes, sweetness?' He stroked the end of her braid.

'Will I love him?' She asked.

He tightened his hold of her and kissed her forehead. 'You're going to love the man that you're going to marry so much. You're going to love him just as much as mummy loves me and he's going to love you just as much as I love mummy.' He caressed her back tenderly.

She smiled up at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and locking her fingers. 'I'll always love you more than him though, daddy.' She admitted whilst stroking his hair.

'I know you will,' He let her bury her face in the side of his neck when she went onto her knees in his lap and the two of them shared a warm cuddle. 'I know you will, sweetheart.'

* * *

From where he was sat next to his wife on a pew at the church later that morning, John was unable to take his eyes off of her as he held her hand in his and ran his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. She looked breath-taking in the pale pink dress that she had picked out, her curled hair and light amount of make-up only adding to her radiance.

He looked at her in silence for the next couple of seconds before – at last – she noticed and looked up from the programme that was in her hands. 'Didn't your mother teach you that it's rude to stare?' She asked him with a smirk before her heart swelled within her chest when he lifted her hand to his lips and left the most tender kiss to the back of it.

'She _did,'_ He replied after slipping his fingers through the gaps in hers and placing their joined hands in his lap. 'But that was _before_ I met and married the most perfect woman on earth.' He watched her smile as she gave him a good-natured eye-roll and – if the two of them hadn't been in such a public setting – he would've kissed the smile from her lips.

'I love you so much; you know that, don't you?' She gave his hand a squeeze.

'Of course I do,' He nodded. 'And I love you just as much.'

The two of them shared one last smile then before the sound of the organ filled the air and they rose with the rest of the congregation, Anna's heart pounding within her chest as she felt nervous for her little girl yet so proud of her at the same time. It seemed as though John had been able to sense her anxiousness too, because he caressed her hand.

It took a few minutes for the two bridesmaids and the maid of honour to walk down the aisle but, soon enough, Adelaide entered the church and started to walk down the aisle with Christopher, the ring-bearer and Mr. Molesley's nephew, and Anna's face broke out into the widest smile. She couldn't quite explain just how proud she felt of her little girl.

Adelaide walked so gracefully that it seemed like she was floating down the aisle rather than walking down it, and the smile that was on her lips as she pulled the rose petals out of her basket and scattered them was so radiant. To be honest, everything about her in that moment – from her braid to the shoes she had on – was nothing less than gorgeous.

Anna felt tears spring to her eyes when Adelaide smiled at her once she had stopped at the top of the aisle with Christopher, and as she smiled back she feared that her heart would burst with the love that she had for her. 'Just look at her, John,' She told him in a soft voice, tears coating her words as she took a step closer to him. 'She's so perfect!'

'She is, my love,' He beamed whilst looking over at their little girl. 'She's so, so perfect.'

Somehow, the two of them managed to look away from Adelaide long enough to see Miss Baxter be led down the aisle by her brother. Once she had reached Mr. Molesley's side, the two of them saw her nod at Adelaide before their little girl ran to the two of them. 'You clever, _clever_ girl…' Anna whispered into her ear after bringing her to sit in her lap.

'Did I do good, daddy?' Adelaide asked in a soft voice.

John chuckled and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. 'You were so amazing.'

With a pleased smile, Adelaide snuggled into her mother's chest and rested her head on her shoulder before accepting the kiss that she pressed onto her lips. 'I am so proud of you, darling,' Anna beamed after pressing her forehead to hers. 'You are such a big girl.'

'I love you, mummy.' Adelaide told her whilst holding onto her basket.

'And I love you,' Anna gave her a squeeze. 'So much.'

The two of them then looked over at Miss Baxter and Mr. Molesley when Mr Travis said: 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Joseph Molesley and Phyllis Baxter in holy matrimony…'

* * *

The sound of Adelaide's squeals and giggles as she ran around with Miss Sybbie, Master George and Miss Marigold on the schoolyard that afternoon made Anna and John smile. The two of them were sat on one of the benches near the entrance to the school-house, their fingers entwined as their hands rested in his lap and her head laid on his shoulder.

It had become clear to them, a little while ago, that their little girl had gotten bored of listening to speeches and running around the hall and so they had decided to let her run on the schoolyard for a while. The other children had overheard them though, and asked if they could go too, hence why all four of them were now enjoying one last game of tag.

'I spoke to Lady Mary about handing in my notice earlier on…' Anna sighed before lifting her head off of her husband's shoulder when she felt him squeeze her hand. 'I promised her that I would stay on until she managed to find a replacement, but that I believe it's the right time for me to leave service and start focusing more on Addie.' She admitted.

'And how did she react?' John raised his brow with a smirk, already knowing the answer.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him before stroking his knuckles with her thumb. 'She told me that she understands and that I'm still welcome to visit Downton whenever I like. I told her about how I was worried about leaving because I thought that it would cause a…rift…between us, but she told me that something like this would never do that.'

'I told you that she would be fine with it,' John lifted his spare hand to her face before tucking a fair strand of hair back behind her ear, his eyes falling closed when he placed a tender kiss on her forehead. 'Do you feel as though you'll be able to relax a little more now that you've spoken to Lady Mary? I mean, it's one less thing for you to worry about.'

She nodded and moved closer to him on the bench before tracing the slight swell of her belly with the hand that wasn't held in his. 'It did feel like a rock had been lifted off of my chest once I had told her. I think I'll be able to spend a lot more time with Adelaide and think more about this baby now that I've done it.' She turned her head towards him.

'Can you believe that we're going to be holding this little one in under three months?' He shook his head in slight disbelief. 'Before we met, I never imagined I would be a father. I didn't want children with Vera because we argued all the time and I hated the thought of bringing a baby into that environment. What you and I have is what I once dreamt of.'

She felt her heart swell with love for him as she laid her head on his shoulder again and sighed. 'You're always telling me how proud I make you, but I hope you know how proud _I_ am of _you_. You do so much for Adelaide and I, John, and you're the most amazing father and husband. I couldn't imagine a better father for our children, I mean that so deeply.'

'I love the three of you so much…' He whispered into her hair before kissing her head.

It was a little while later when their beautiful little girl came running over to where the two of them were sitting, Anna lifting her head off of John's shoulder again before she opened her arms to Adelaide and let her run into them. 'Are you having fun with Master George and the girls, precious?' She asked after pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

'I _love_ playing with them, mummy!' Adelaide nodded.

'I'm sure they love playing with you just as much,' Anna teased the end of her braid. 'It's time for all of us to head back inside now though, because it's almost time to have cake!'

She and John laughed when they saw their little girl's eyes light up with pure happiness.

'I want cake! I want cake!' Adelaide jumped up and down.

'You had better run and tell the others then, before everyone else eats it!' Anna smiled.

In less than a moment, Adelaide turned around and began to run towards the others.

'Is there anything that our girl loves more than cake?' John chuckled.

'I'd like to say that she loves us more, but I'm honestly not sure…' Anna smirked at him.

She slipped her hand back into his then and entwined their fingers before standing with him, the two of them watching as Adelaide and the other children hurried over to them. 'Are the four of you ready to go back inside and have some wedding cake?' She inquired.

'Yes!' The children replied in unison.

She couldn't help but laugh. 'Come on then.'

She and John then allowed the four of them to head back inside the schoolhouse before following closely behind them.

* * *

Anna clasped both hands together in her lap and smiled as she watched her husband and little girl share a slow-dance a short time later, her heart fit to burst with the love she had for them as Adelaide stood on John's shoes and he stepped from side-to-side whilst holding her hands. She knew that he wouldn't be able to dance long because of his knee, but that wasn't what was important. What was important was that he'd danced with her.

She had known that he had seen Adelaide watch Lady Mary, Mr. Branson and Lady Edith get up to dance with their own children. She had known, when Adelaide had looked up at him and told him that she wanted to dance too, that he was going to make himself do it. It was the first daddy-daughter dance the two of them had ever shared and – as far as she was concerned – the two of them together was the most precious sight in the world.

For the next few minutes she went on watching them dance together, but when she saw Adelaide tilt her head back and smile up at John she felt her heart flutter in her chest. The smile that she gave him was one of pure love and made it clear that she adored him. That was one of the things that she adored most about her husband and their daughter. How much they loved each other. Adelaide was such a daddy's girl and he cherished her.

She could tell that John's knee was beginning to ache a little while later, and so it didn't surprise her much when he and Adelaide stopped dancing and returned to their table. 'I think my little dancer needs a drink, don't you, sweetheart?' She stroked Adelaide's red cheek once she had reached her, her daughter nodding whilst John sat down beside her. She then brought Adelaide to sit in her lap before pouring a small glass of water for her.

'Thank you for dancing with her,' She turned to John. 'It meant the world to both of us.'

'I just wish we could have danced for longer,' He sighed. 'I'm sick to death of this knee.'

She rested her free hand on his knee underneath the table and gave it a tender stroke. 'John, how long you danced with her for is _not_ important to her. You could have told her no when she asked you to dance with her; you could have said that you couldn't handle it, but you didn't. You got up and you made the effort to dance with her and that is all that matters. All that she wanted was a special dance with you and you gave her that dance…'

Despite the frustration and pain he was feeling, John smiled. 'How do you do that?'

'How do I do what?' She allowed Adelaide to snuggle against her.

He covered her hand with his on his knee. 'How do you always know how to cheer me up?'

'Because I'm a woman of many talents…' She teased with a smirk.

'That you are, my darling,' He squeezed her hand. 'That you are…'

* * *

'There we go…' Anna whispered as she laid a sleeping Adelaide down on her bed late that evening, quiet shushes escaping her when her little girl stirred as she covered her small frame with her quilt. Once she was satisfied that Adelaide had settled again, she found her stuffed bear and slipped it into bed beside her before running a hand over her soft curls and leaning down to kiss her gently on the cheek. 'Sweet dreams, my gorgeous girl.'

She then took a step back from her daughter's bed before turning the lamp that was on her bedside table off, a smile curling her lips when she looked at her once more and saw the expression of peace that was on her face. She forced herself to leave the bedroom after a couple of seconds, leaving the door ajar before padding down the landing toward the bedroom that she and her husband shared. She was more than ready to go to sleep.

Once she had entered the bedroom she shared a smile with John, who was already lying in bed, before walking around to her own side of their bed and climbing in beside him. 'I know I should braid my hair, but I'm too exhausted,' She laughed after he had encircled her in his arms and she had laid her head on his chest, a gentle yawn escaping her as she draped her arm over his waist. 'I'm so glad that Adelaide fell asleep down on the settee.'

'We have one _worn out_ little girl, my love.' He told her before kissing her on the head.

She hummed. 'She did so well this morning, didn't she?'

'She did,' He nodded. 'And she looked gorgeous, just like her mummy.'

She shifted in his embrace until her head came to rest on his shoulder, her eyes closing of their own accord when he pressed his lips against hers as she tangled one of her legs with one of his. The smack of their lips filled the silence of their bedroom when the two of them parted and Anna ran her foot along his calve beneath the sheets, her fingertips teasing his chest-hair. 'There's going to be a baby in here with us soon…' She whispered.

'There is,' He stroked her hair. 'I can't wait.'

'Me neither,' She admitted. 'Sometimes I still can't believe that this is really happening.'

He kissed her on the forehead. 'I know. But it _is_ happening, darling, all of this is reality.'

'I love you…' She reached up to trace the line of his jaw with her fingers.

'And I love you…' He pulled her closer. 'More than you could possibly imagine.'

Another large yawn escaped Anna as she snuggled into his side and he couldn't stifle his chuckle as he reached to turn off the lamp on his bedside table. 'Close your eyes and go to sleep, my darling.' He told her whilst tightening his hold of her and stroking her back.

'Goodnight, John,' She buried her face in the side of his neck. 'Sleep well.'

'The same to you, Anna,' He whispered into the darkness. 'The very same to you…'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading and I hope that you all liked it! Please review, if you have the time, to let me know what you thought and I'll see you all soon :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: I want to apologise for not updating this fic in a while, but I've just been struggling to find motivation over the past couple of weeks. I hope that this long chapter helps to make up for that though, and I hope that you all enjoy reading it just as much as I've enjoyed writing it over the last couple of days. Thank you all for your support! xx**

* * *

Once he had finished packing his toothbrush and nightclothes back into his suitcase, John looked over at the bed and smiled. Anna and Adelaide were still sound asleep, his wife curled up on her side whilst their little girl slept on her stomach on his side of the bed. He knew that he would have to wake them soon – the taxi that was to take the three of them to Anna's childhood home would arrive in an hour – but he felt that letting them have ten more minutes wouldn't do much harm. The two of them had been dead on their feet when they had arrived at the hotel.

Their original plan had been to leave Downton in the early morning and reach Ellen's just after supper-time, but the trains had been running late and so the three of them hadn't arrived in Whitby until well after seven O'clock. He had considered talking to Anna about getting a taxi to her mother's, but she had looked so tired and Adelaide had looked so cold when he had looked at them that he had changed his mind. The thought of spending the night in a hotel had sat much better with him than the thought of asking his wife and daughter to wait around for a taxi.

He folded down the collar on his shirt before walking over to the bed and sitting down next to Adelaide, a gentle smile curling his lips when he pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and realised that her temperature had come down. She hadn't been herself for a couple of days now: her temperature had been going up and down, her nose had been running and she had been irritable. Anna had spent most of her time beside her, fretting that she'd caught the flu, but the fact that she was sleeping well and had brightened up on the train-ride told him otherwise.

'Rise and shine, little one…' He whispered whilst smoothing down her curls with the palm of his hand.

Adelaide began to stir a short time later, a quiet whine of disapproval at being woken escaping her as she sucked her thumb. Her eyelids fluttered before her eyes opened properly and she turned onto her back to look up at him. 'Hello, daddy,' She removed her thumb from her mouth and sat up to kiss his cheek softly. 'How did you sleep?'

'I slept fine, darling, thank you,' He reassured her. 'I gather you did too, because you snored in my ear all night!'

The sound of his little girl's giggles made his heart swell.

'Shall I wake mummy up?' She asked after turning her head in her sleeping mother's direction.

'I think we should leave her to get a little more sleep, Addie, because she was _so_ worn out when we came to bed last night,' He told her. 'How about we get you dressed, pack your things and then we can wake her up, all right?'

She nodded whilst brushing a curl back behind her ear. 'All right, daddy.'

'Would you like to pick out your dress?' He raised his brow.

'Can I?' She beamed as her eyes lit up.

'Your dresses are in the bag at the end of the bed. Why don't you go and take a look?' He stroked her hair.

Within moments she had pushed the covers off of her and slid from the bed to go and find a dress, John laughing as he watched her rummage through the bag before he turned to his wife. He was pleased to see that she was still fast asleep, one of her hands buried beneath her cheek on her pillow whilst the other laid on her stomach through the covers and gentle snores escaped her. She had been so tired over the past couple of days and deserved to rest.

He ran his hand along the outside of her arm and smiled when she didn't stir before laying his hand on her belly. 'How your mummy manages to sleep through this is beyond me,' He brushed his thumb against the proof of his unborn child whilst it kicked repeatedly against his palm. It was still hard for him to believe that he was going to be cradling it in his arms for the first time in just two months. The thought filled him with excitement and worry.

Never, in his whole life, had he had a newborn to take care of.

He hadn't the first clue about what he was supposed to do, but he knew that Anna would be there to support him.

She was going to be his rock during the first couple of months.

'I want to wear this one, daddy!' The sound of his little girl's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

She had chosen the red dress that he had bought her for her birthday and knowing that she liked it so much made his love for her deepen. 'You are going to look so beautiful, princess,' He told her as he accepted the dress from her. 'Can you sit quietly next to mummy for me whilst I go and find you some tights and a ribbon for your hair?'

'Okay,' She replied before allowing him to take her waist in his hands and sit her on the bed. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' He reassured her with a kiss to her forehead before he left the bed to go and collect her things.

It didn't take him long to help her out of her nightgown and into her dress and tights once he had returned, but it took him two-or-three attempts to get her curls into a braid before at last he succeeded. 'I think you might be the prettiest little girl in all of Yorkshire,' He laid his hands on her waist when she turned to look at him once he had tied off her braid. 'You can wake mummy up now, but I want you to be gentle with her because she's still tired.'

Adelaide nodded before clambering up onto the bed, lying down next to her mother and running a hand over her hair. 'It's time to wake up, mummy,' She whispered before snuggling closer to her and softly kissing her temple.

Anna began to stir after a couple of minutes and – once her eyes had fluttered open – a tired smile formed on her lips at the sight of her little girl. 'Good morning, you…' Her voice was hoarse as she laid her hand on her cheek.

'Good morning,' Adelaide giggled. 'We're seeing nanny today.'

'We _are_ seeing nanny today,' Anna grazed her nose with her own. 'And we're seeing your auntie Alice.'

Adelaide thought for a moment before looking at her mother again. 'Who's auntie Alice?'

The two of them looked up at the sound of John's chuckle. 'Auntie Alice is mummy's little sister.' He explained.

'You have a little sister?' Adelaide smiled at her mother.

'I do,' Anna laughed. 'And she has a little girl who's around two years older than you, so you can play with her!'

The smile that spread across her little girl's face told her that the idea of having a play-mate thrilled her.

'Addie, darling, why don't you go and put your shoes on so that we can go once mummy's dressed?' John said.

'Okay,' Adelaide replied before she left her mother's side and got off of the bed to go and search for her shoes.

John shuffled further onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard once Anna had sat up, the two of them sharing a smile when he put an arm around her shoulders and allowed her to cuddle up to him. 'I feel as though I should apologise for snapping at you last night,' She sighed whilst caressing his chest after sitting in silence with him for a while. 'I shouldn't have said that you were making things harder for me when you were trying to help.'

'You were exhausted and had terrible backache,' He stroked her waist. 'It doesn't surprise me that you snapped.'

'Even so, I'm sorry…' She leaned in to brush his lips with hers. 'It won't happen again.'

He reached up with his free hand to slide a lock of her hair back behind her ear. 'I love you; you know that?'

'I do,' She nodded. 'I love you too. So much.'

The two of them leaned in for another kiss then, but just before their lips met their little girl came hurrying over.

'I've got my shoes on!' Adelaide said whilst clambering onto the bed. 'Can we go now? Can we go now?'

'Patience, little miss,' Anna giggled before running a hand over her hair. 'I still need to get dressed!'

John ran his hand along the curve of his wife's side. 'How about you go and freshen up whilst I sit with Addie?'

'Thank you.' Anna gave him a soft smile before tilting her head back to kiss his lips.

She then peeled back the covers before leaving the bed and walking to the en-suite whilst John allowed Adelaide to crawl into his lap. He then watched his wife close the en-suite door behind her and laced his arms around their little girl before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He couldn't wait for the three of them to get to the cottage. Anna had been looking forward to their trip for weeks and he was hopeful that she'd be able to let her hair down.

He was, of course, looking forward to spending some quality time with her and Adelaide as well.

The two of them meant everything to him and he was determined not to waste a moment of their little excursion.

Not a single moment.

* * *

Anna felt her heart race in her chest as she slid her hand into her husband's and let him aid her in stepping out of the taxi. It had been so long since the last time she had seen the cottage in which she had grown up – twenty-five years to be exact – and it surprised her to see that not a thing about it had been changed. The front door was still red, the flowerpots were still sitting on either side of the doorstep and the little tool-shed was still standing in the corner of the garden. As she took in her surroundings she could feel herself being sent back to the day she'd left.

She had been fourteen and terrified at the thought of leaving everything she had ever known and being separated from her mother and little sister. The one thing that had managed to comfort her had been the thought of earning money that she could send home to help her mother. She could still remember climbing into her uncle's trap and hearing Alice sob as she watched her leave from where she had been stood on the doorstep. The sound had made her heart break and she had longed to run back to their cottage and sooth her, but she had been unable to do that.

The feeling of her husband stroking her back pulled her from her thoughts and one glance at him told her that he could tell what she had been thinking about. 'This is just how everything looked on the morning I left to become a tweeny…' She told him as she watched Adelaide walk over to the gate and go up onto her tiptoes to peer over. 'I can still remember Alice standing with mother on the doorstep and watching me climb into my uncle's trap so that he could take me to the train station.' Her eyes fell closed when John pressed his lips to the side of her head.

'I don't want you to spend the next fortnight thinking of all the bad memories you have of this place,' He said to her when she looked up into his eyes. 'You're not going to be able to relax and make the most of the time we've got here if you do that, darling. I want you to think more about the happier memories you have and I want to see you enjoying yourself.' The smile that crossed her lips was so beautiful that it made him return it before she rose up onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, their kiss long and soft before she pulled back and stroked his face.

'I love you…' She whispered.

'I love you too.' He reassured her.

'Nanny!' The two of them looked at their little girl when she squealed with delight a little while later before they saw Ellen standing on the doorstep with a smile on her face. Ellen started to walk towards the gate after shutting the front door and when she unlatched it, Adelaide wrapped both of her arms around her middle and gazed up at her. 'I missed you.' Adelaide said before giggling when she brought her to perch on her hip and kissed her brow.

Ellen ran a hand over her granddaughter's curls as she looked into her eyes. 'I missed you too, my precious girl.'

Once Adelaide had snuggled against her and leaned her head against her shoulder she walked up to her daughter and caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. 'You look done in, darling…' She sighed as she looked at her.

'I didn't have the best night,' Anna admitted. 'My back's been killing me for the last couple of days.'

Ellen took her hand off of her cheek and laid it on her stomach through her dress before stroking the proof of her grandchild with her thumb. 'It shouldn't last much longer…how many weeks is it before this little one's arrival?'

'I'm due in eight weeks, but I have a feeling that it won't come on its due date,' She told her. 'I'm so impatient.'

Ellen giggled before turning to John. 'What about you, John? How are you feeling?'

'Terrified,' He chuckled. 'But excited at the same time.'

'You'll be fine,' She reassured him. 'Once the baby's here you'll wonder what you were worrying about.'

Anna leaned against her husband and smiled up at him. 'As I keep telling you.'

John gave her waist a tender squeeze.

'We're all going to catch our deaths if we stand out here much longer,' Ellen said as she leaned down to take one of the suitcases. 'Come inside and I'll make us all a cup of tea whilst we wait for Alice and Victoria to get here.'

'How is Alice?' Anna asked when she began to follow her mother in the direction of the cottage.

Ellen sighed. 'She's… _coping_ …but with Victoria being deaf and needing hearing aids she's finding things hard.'

'Victoria's deaf? She didn't mention that in her letter when she wrote to me.' Anna replied.

'She doesn't like to talk about it much because she feels as though it's her fault.' Ellen explained to her.

John frowned. 'How could it be her fault?'

'It's not, of course,' Ellen said after entering the house with them. 'But her husband, Charles, tells her different.'

She set Adelaide down once she had closed the door before taking the suitcases from John and tucking them into the cupboard beneath the staircase. 'She had a still-birth five years ago,' She continued as she led Anna and John into the kitchen. 'The doctor said that nothing she had done had caused it, but Charles hadn't believed it and told her that it must have been her fault because she had been the one carrying it.' She filled the kettle up with water.

'Has he always been like that?' Anna raised her brow.

Ellen shook her head. 'In the beginning, he was one of the kindest men I'd ever met and showed her nothing but respect. The still-birth changed him though, as did Victoria being born deaf, and now he barely pays attention to either of them. Alice says that he prefers to spend his time at the pub and so she's left to care for Victoria alone.'

'That's so awful…' Anna sighed before she felt John stroke her back in a comforting fashion.

She felt Adelaide tug on her hand after a time and offered her a gentle smile in response when she looked at her. 'When auntie Alice gets here, mummy, can I play with Victoria?' Adelaide asked as she looked up into her eyes.

'You can, darling, but Victoria won't be able to hear you because she's deaf.' Anna stroked her hair.

'Oh…' Adelaide replied.

'She'll still want to play with you though, Addie, and she can talk through sign language!' Ellen added.

Adelaide's brow creased in confusion. 'What's that?'

'It's where you talk with your hands. Auntie Alice will be able to tell you what she's trying to say.' John smiled.

Just when the kettle began to whistle on the stove a short while later there was a knock on the front door. 'That's Alice,' Ellen announced as she turned off the stove and picked up the kettle. 'Anna, would you be able to go and let her in whilst I finish making the tea?' Anna nodded before leaving the kitchen and heading for the front door.

She took a deep breath before opening it, somewhat nervous at the thought of seeing her sister again for the first time in over two decades. Her nerves vanished when she opened the door and saw Alice, however, and when her little sister's eyes filled with tears she felt her heart swell. The last time she had seen her, Alice had been eleven and had had long brown hair that went right down to her hips. Now she was thirty-six, had short brown hair that framed her jawline and looked so mature. 'Anna…' Alice smiled as she stroked Victoria's hand with her thumb.

Anna stepped to one side so that Alice and Victoria could enter the cottage before shutting the door and giggling when her sister caught her in a tight embrace. For several long seconds the two of them stood together in silence, their arms around one another as they revelled in their closeness after not seeing each other for such a long time. When their embrace broke at last, the two of them shared a smile before Alice gave Victoria's hair a light stroke. 'This,' She gazed down at her whilst signing with her hands. 'Is your auntie Anna. Would you like to say hello?'

Victoria looked up at Anna after her mother had stopped signing to her and waved whilst giving her a soft smile.

'She's so beautiful, Alice,' She shook her head once she had waved back at her niece. 'You must be so proud.'

'I am,' Alice replied as she rested her hand on her daughter's back through her dress.

The two of them turned their heads in the direction of the kitchen when they heard the tapping of John's cane on the floor and Alice offered her sister's husband a smile. 'You must be John,' She assumed before reaching out to shake his hand when he offered it to her. 'Anna's told me so much about you when we've written to each other.'

'All good things, I hope.' John teased when he looked at his wife.

Anna rolled her eyes with a smirk. 'What else would she hear from me?'

'And this,' Alice giggled when Adelaide came into the hall and wrapped both arms around her father's good leg. 'I assume is Adelaide.' Adelaide nodded with a shy smile before looking at her father when he stroked her curls.

'Addie, darling, this is your cousin, Victoria,' Anna gestured to her niece. 'Are you going to say hello?'

Adelaide moved to stand in front of her older cousin before, after remembering that she was deaf, waving at her.

'Victoria,' Alice signed. 'This is Adelaide, your little cousin.'

The six-year-old waved at her cousin before Ellen came into the hall and smiled.

'How about we all head into the sitting room and have some tea?' She suggested.

'If it's not too much trouble, I think I should head upstairs and unpack first,' Anna replied. 'Just to save time.'

Ellen nodded. 'Right you are, sweetheart.'

'Would you like some help?' John rested his hand on the small of his wife's back.

'If you wouldn't mind,' Anna looked up at him. 'Adelaide, why don't you go and have a play with Victoria?'

Adelaide smiled at her. 'Okay, mummy.'

She and Victoria, along with Alice went through to the sitting room then whilst Ellen went into the kitchen to get the tea and Anna and John got the suitcases out from under the stairs. 'Mum telephoned earlier and told me she's aired out the back bedroom for us and Addie.' Anna revealed when she started to ascend the staircase with John.

It didn't take too long for them to reach the top of the stairs and walk down the hall to the bedroom and, once the two of them had entered, Anna took her suitcase over to the bed before setting it down on the floor and sitting on the bed. 'I'll be glad when this backache stops,' She said when she felt her back twinge. 'It's driving me insane.'

The mattress dipped beneath her when John joined her on the bed and she smiled when he started to massage her back with the heel of his palm. 'I know it's horrid, darling, but you're doing so well.' He left a kiss to her cheek.

She moved closer to him on top of the covers before lying her head on his shoulder and softly nuzzling his neck. 'I know that we've only just got here, but all I want to do right now is sleep,' She said to him. 'I'm so worn out.'

'Then lie down and get a couple of hours,' He advised. 'You deserve it after all of the travelling we've done.'

She lifted her head off of his shoulder. 'I don't want you to have to do all of the unpacking yourself.'

'It won't take me long to do and if it means that you can get some rest, I don't mind.' He gave her a warm smile.

'Will you lie with me for a while?' She removed a piece of lint from his jacket.

He nodded before she laid herself down atop the covers and he walked around to the other side of the bed before climbing onto it and lying down beside her. He then opened his arms to her and allowed her to enter them before she laid her head on his chest and draped her arm over his stomach. 'I'm so glad that mum's accepted you at last and that the two of you are getting along,' She smiled as he held her close. 'It makes things much easier for me.'

'I'm glad,' He kissed the top of her head. 'Now, close your eyes and get some sleep.'

'I love you.' She smiled after allowing her eyes to drift closed.

'I love you too…' He pressed his cheek to her crown. 'More than you could possibly imagine.'

* * *

The sound of knocking on the front door made Alice stop eating and look up when she and the others were sat at the dinner table that evening. 'I'll go,' She turned to her mother after setting down her fork and pushing back her chair. 'It'll be Charles,' She then left the table before walking out of the kitchen and walking to the front door to let her husband in. 'I told you before you left this morning that we were eating at six o'clock. Where were you?'

'I stopped off at the pub for a pint after work and lost track of time.' He said as he removed his hat and overcoat.

'I should have guessed…' She mumbled.

Charles rolled his eyes in response before following her when she turned on her heel and returned to the kitchen. 'Charles, this is Anna and John and their daughter, Adelaide,' She said as she re-joined Victoria at the table and watched him walk to the oven so that he could get his dinner out of it. 'John, Anna, this is my husband, Charles.'

'How do you do?' Charles gave them a tiny smile before sitting at the table. 'I apologize for arriving late, Ellen.'

'It's quite all right, Charles…' Ellen replied whilst taking Alice's hand beneath the table and giving it a squeeze.

For the next couple of minutes, Alice sat in silence as she pushed her vegetables around her plate before looking at her mother. 'I was wondering if you would come with me to Victoria's appointment at the hospital tomorrow. Doctor Brown wants to check her over and speak to me about getting some hearing aids for her.' She said to her.

'I should be the one to go with you. I'm Victoria's father.' Charles said from the end of the table.

Alice sighed as she turned to look at him. 'I didn't think you would want to come.'

'What gave you that idea?' He frowned at her.

'Well, whenever I ask you to come with me to an appointment you tell me that you're too busy.' She replied.

He scoffed. 'I can't help having things to do, can I?'

'Can we talk about this when we get home?' She asked him softly. 'I don't want to upset Adelaide and Victoria.'

Silence fell over the dinner table after that and remained until the seven of them had finished eating their dinner. 'You've done enough tonight, mum, let me wash up for you.' Alice said when her mother walked up to the sink.

'It's quite all right, I can manage.' Ellen shook her head with a smile.

'Please, mum,' Alice rested a hand on her arm. 'Let me do it.'

'I can help her. It'll take half the time with two of us.' Anna pointed out after walking over to the two of them.

Ellen looked at her daughters with love and pride in her eyes. 'Thank you, my darlings.'

She then walked out of the kitchen and into the sitting room where Charles and John were sat with Adelaide and Victoria, leaving Anna and Alice alone. 'Charles does love Victoria and I, you know…' Alice said as she turned on the tap and filled the sink with hot water whilst Anna searched for a cloth that she could use to dry the plates. 'The last couple of years have just been hard and Victoria's appointments have left us both a little out of pocket. I'm hoping that once Victoria has her hearing aids things will begin to settle down and be like they were before.'

'Mum told me that Charles doesn't have much to do with Victoria…' Anna said as Alice started to wash a plate.

Alice sighed. 'He just…he just doesn't see the point since she can't hear him. I've told him that her being unable to hear him doesn't mean anything and that she still wants him to spend time with her, but he won't listen to me. We get into arguments about it all of the time and he believes that I'm the one to blame for her being born deaf.'

'You know that that isn't true though…' Anna laid a hand on her back. 'Don't you?'

Alice looked at her with slight doubt in her eyes.

'Darling, nothing that you did or didn't do caused Victoria to be born deaf,' Anna comforted. 'It just happened.'

'I just feel awful for her,' Alice whimpered. 'She can't hear a thing.'

Anna sighed. 'She will be able to when you get those hearing aids for her…just keep reminding yourself of that.'

'I…I might take her to the park tomorrow afternoon. Would you and John like to come with Addie?' Alice asked.

'We would love that,' Anna nodded. 'It'll give Adelaide and Victoria more time to bond as well.'

After washing another plate and handing it to her sister, Alice waited for her to dry it before she wound her arms around her middle and rested her head on her shoulder. 'Thank you for cheering me up.' She gave her a squeeze.

'You're my little sister,' Anna turned her head to leave a soft kiss to the side of hers. 'I'll always be here for you.'

'I know you will,' Alice sighed happily. 'And I'll always be here for you.'

* * *

John ran a hand over Adelaide's curls and pulled the covers further over her before rising from the bed that Ellen had set up for her. He then padded over to the bed that he and his wife were sharing before pulling back the quilt and climbing into bed beside her, a gentle smile appearing on his lips when he saw that she had drifted off whilst waiting for him to come to bed. She was now fast asleep with one hand lying next to her head on her pillow, her hair fanned out over her pillowcase as she was curled up on her side and the faintest of snores were escaping her.

He laid down next to her after turning off the lamp on the bedside table and covering her further with their quilt, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek when his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. It pleased him to see that she was finally allowing herself to get some sleep after the hectic two days that the two of them had had. All of the standing around and waiting for trains that they had done, along with sitting in the same place for hours on said trains hadn't helped her back at all. Neither had sleeping on that small bed in the little hotel the night before.

Not knowing how to help her when she had been in considerable pain had been torture for him, but now that she had been able to take some tablets and the pain in her back had lessened he felt a little more at ease. For the first time in several hours she was at peace and, in his opinion, it was one of the most beautiful sights in all the world. 'Sleep well, darling…' He said whilst pushing a fair curl back behind her ear. 'Goodness knows you deserve it.' She sighed in her sleep when he pressed his lips against her hairline in a soft kiss and the sound made him smile.

He started to settle down beside her after a time, a deep sigh escaping him as he turned onto his back and looked up at the ceiling whilst tucking an arm beneath his head. The thought of being able to give his wife and daughter his full attention for the next fortnight filled him with happiness. He had had so much to do over the past couple of weeks – both up at Downton and when he got home at night – and he couldn't help but feel like he hadn't had as much time for the two of them as he would have liked, so this little vacation would help him make up for that.

He wanted to take Adelaide to the beach at some point.

He wanted to take Anna out to dine as well so that the two of them could have one evening to themselves.

More than anything, however, he wanted to spoil his girls and spend as much time as possible with them both.

Which was _exactly_ what he was going to do…

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter and I really hope that it was all right for you all! I would be so grateful if you would drop me a review to let me know what you thought of it and I'll see you all soon! x**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: Thank you all for coming back and I hope that you like this chapter!**

* * *

'Good morning…'

Her husband's voice in her ear and his arms sliding around her waist from behind made Anna smile as she waited for the kettle to boil on the stove the next morning. She allowed her head to fall back onto his shoulder when he rested his hands on her rounded stomach, the two of them sharing a gentle kiss as she laid her hands over his and laced their fingers. 'Good morning,' She brushed his nose with hers.

John stroked his thumbs against her stomach while the two of them stood in silence together and the little kick that followed made her heart melt. She just knew that their child was going to adore him. He had been stroking and kissing her belly for a while now, but he had recently begun to talk to the baby and they had both realised that it loved the sound of his voice. That didn't surprise her one bit though.

His voice was so gentle and soothing and she could listen to him talk or read for hours on end.

'I'm getting so impatient…' John whispered in her ear and she shivered in his arms as his breath tickled her skin. 'There's just something about the thought of watching you and our girls that makes me want these final eight weeks to pass as fast as possible.' He chuckled when Anna looked at him with a smirk.

'Still convinced there's a little girl in there, are we?' She raised a brow.

He nodded. 'And nothing will change that.'

She giggled before turning around and letting him lace his arms around her again, her hands running along the outside of his arms through his nightshirt when he kissed her temple. 'It's weird to think that – earlier this year – I felt heartbroken whenever I thought about the fact that I was pregnant because I can't imagine not being pregnant now.' She told him as he held her against him and stroked her back.

'You had been through three miscarriages,' He reminded her in a soft voice while brushing a lone lock of hair back beneath her ear. 'Each time you got your hopes up we lost the baby, so it doesn't surprise me that you felt scared rather than excited when you found out that you were pregnant again, Anna.' He watched tears fill her eyes as she gave him a silent nod in response and chewed on her bottom lip.

'It still hurts to think about them…' She sniffed.

He offered her a tender smile while catching the tear that danced down her cheek with his forefinger. 'I know, darling, and that's understandable because it wasn't that long ago when we lost the last one.'

'I'm so glad that I have you and Adelaide. I don't know what I'd do without you both.' She said to him.

He wrapped his arms back around her middle and drew her as close as her swollen belly would allow. 'You never have to be worried about something like that because we're not going anywhere, I swear.'

'I know,' She reached up to rest her hand on the side of his neck. 'And I love you so much for that.'

'And I love you…' He lowered his head to press a kiss onto her lips.

The kettle began to whistle on the stove just as the two of them parted moments later and he gave his wife a smile before running his hands over her back and leaving a final kiss to her hairline. 'You have a seat and I'll make our tea,' He told her. 'You've been on your feet far too much over the past few days.'

'You're going to be like this until I've given birth now, aren't you?' She smirked.

'Correct,' He winked while stroking her cheek. 'I'm just looking out for you.'

'I know; I know…' She laughed before stepping past him and starting to walk over to the dining table.

Once she had pulled out one of the chairs and lowered herself into it she watched her husband get to work on making their tea and sighed. She couldn't have loved him more in that moment if she'd tried. He was going to drive her mad with all of his fussing and fretting over the next eight weeks, she could tell that he was, but she knew that all of it would come from the strong love that he possessed for her.

She was so blessed to have him in her life.

And she knew that, when the two of them were older, Adelaide and the baby would realise the same.

* * *

John felt his heart swell with pride for his little girl as he watched her hold the swing to let Victoria get on it at the park that afternoon. He had to admit that, when Ellen had revealed that Victoria was deaf, he had felt as though Adelaide would distance herself from her because she had never encountered a deaf child before. He had been so mistaken, however, and she had proved that through taking care of her older cousin. It was clear that she knew she needed a little extra help and wanted to give her that.

For the last hour-or-so she had been following Victoria around, helping her up when she fell over and aiding her in getting on and off things and it astounded him. There was no doubt in his mind that she was going to be the most incredible, protective older sister when her little brother or sister entered the world. 'Daddy; daddy,' The sound of her voice pulled him from his thoughts and he smiled at the sight of her running up to him. 'I need to go back over to Victoria, but please will you take care of Summer?'

Once she had placed the rag-doll in his lap she turned around to go back to her cousin, but he caught one of her hands just in time to pull her back to him. 'Come here…' He sat her on his good knee before sliding an arm around her and tucking a curl back behind her ear. 'I want to talk to you for a moment.'

'Have I done something bad?' She frowned in confusion while taking hold of the lapel of his jacket.

He shook his head before brushing his lips against her hairline and allowing her to snuggle up to him. 'No, princess, I just wanted to talk to you so that I can tell you how proud I am of you for taking care of Victoria. You've been so patient with her and instead of letting her struggle with things, you've helped her with them and I've been watching you do it. I can't believe how grown up you're getting, darling.'

She blessed him with a gorgeous smile. 'I don't mind that Victoria can't hear me, daddy, I still love her.'

'And that is one of the things I adore most about you,' He told her. 'Do you want to go and play now?'

She nodded. 'I don't want Victoria to be scared on her own.'

'I love you so much,' He set her back down on the ground.

'I love you too,' She replied before turning on her heel and racing back over to where Victoria was sat.

Just a couple of minutes later, after he'd returned to watching Adelaide and Victoria play together, he heard the sound of laughter and turned his head to see Anna and Alice returning from the short stroll they had taken. It made him smile to see that his wife was so relaxed and at ease as she walked beside her sister. That was the whole point of their little vacation – to give her a little time to just unwind and put her feet up before she had to go home and start putting things in place for their little one's arrival.

'Thank you so much for watching the girls for us,' Anna smiled when she sat beside him on the bench.

'It was my pleasure,' He slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. 'Did you have fun?'

She looked at Alice when she joined them on the bench. 'We had a lovely time together, didn't we?'

'We did,' Alice nodded. 'I hope the girls didn't run you too ragged, John.'

'The two of them were as good as gold the entire time you were gone.' He told them both.

Anna reached up to lace her fingers with his before whispering: 'Has Adelaide been all right with her?'

He looked over at their little girl and couldn't help but smile as he watched her slide down the slide.

'Let's just say you're going to be very proud of her,' He brought her a little closer. 'Very proud indeed...'

* * *

'I think we've established that she isn't sleeping in her own bed tonight,' Anna laughed as she ran her fingers through Adelaide's curls and watched her husband climb into bed next to her after putting his nightshirt on. She had planned to let their little girl snuggle with her for ten minutes and then tuck her into bed, but when Adelaide had started to snore minutes after resting her head on her chest she had realised that that wouldn't be the case. 'I'm not surprised that she's flat out. She's had such a long day.'

John pressed his lips to her forehead before propping himself up on his elbow and stroking Adelaide's cheek with the back of his forefinger. 'You should have seen her taking care of Victoria earlier,' He said as he watched his little girl sleep with her thumb in her mouth. 'She kept such a close eye on her and I can't believe how patient she was with her. She left her once to come and give me her doll, but she ran right back to her after because she didn't want her to be on her own for too long.'

Anna smiled with pride at the thought of her little girl taking care of her cousin before running a hand over her swollen stomach. 'This little one is going to love her so much,' She shook her head with a soft smile while pressing her cheek to the crown of Adelaide's head. 'I keep thinking about how the two of them are going to be meeting for the first time in a couple of weeks and how excited Addie's going to be. She's been so patient and hasn't stopped going on about how much she wants to give it a cuddle.'

John chuckled. 'Are you prepared for all of the sleepless nights?'

'I don't care if I never sleep again once it's born,' She gazed up into his eyes. 'I've wanted this for years.'

He shifted closer to her beneath their quilt before resting his hand on her cheek, smoothing his thumb across her skin and lowering his lips to hers. The kiss that the two of them shared was long and tender and lingered for several moments before he pulled back from her. 'I know you have.' He sighed softly.

'Mummy…' The two of them looked at their little girl when she whimpered.

'Shh…' Anna buried her lips in Adelaide's hair before kissing her head. 'It's all right.'

The four-year-old whined and snuggled closer to her mother before resting her head on her shoulder, sighing and settling once more. In moments, her snoring had started again and her parents were able to release sighs of relief. 'I think we ought to take a leaf out of her book and get some sleep ourselves,' John pulled the quilt further over his wife and daughter before turning to turn off the lamp that sat on his nightstand. 'Warm enough? There's a spare blanket in the armoire.' He settled down next to Anna.

'I'm fine, darling, I promise.' She reassured him while snuggling further down beneath the quilt.

'I love you.' He whispered.

'I love you too,' She reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight, my love,' He smiled as the two of them settle down together. 'Pleasant dreams…'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and I hope that - although it was shorter than the last one - you liked it! Please let me know, if you have the time, what you thought of it and I'll see you in the next chapter :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 29! I hope that you all like this chapter :)**

* * *

Once she had untwisted the strap on her shoulder and run both hands down the front of her dress to smooth out the wrinkles, Anna looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror and a soft smile formed on her lips. She felt as though, considering she was rather tired since she hadn't found time to rest in the afternoon, she had spruced up well for her date with John that evening. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, their date, because her mother had surprised them with the reservation at Bagdale Hall, but she still felt rather excited.

She couldn't remember the last time the two of them had been out to dine. She couldn't even remember the last time the two of them had had one night to themselves which, now that she thought about it, might have been her mother's motive for doing this for them. The fact that she had given up her evening to take care of Adelaide so that the two of them could have some alone time proved that she realised how terribly they had missed it, but it also proved that she – at last – had seen what kind of a man John truly was and trusted him.

And that was all she had ever wanted.

She turned around at the sound of the bedroom door opening sometime later and the look on her husband's face made her blush as he walked into the room. John closed the door before walking up to her and she laid her hands on his chest on impulse when he laced an arm around her waist and pulled her close. 'Will I do?' She asked with a raise of her brow and a knowing smile before the two of them laughed and he brushed the gentlest kiss against her lips. Their kiss broke several seconds later and he stroked her back with his thumb.

'You could have been dressed in rags when I walked in here and I still would have thought that you looked gorgeous,' He told her while gazing into her eyes. 'I was thinking that, if you aren't too tired when dinner's over, we could walk home instead of waiting for a taxi and take a detour through the fair. I know that we're taking Addie and Victoria tomorrow afternoon, but I was thinking earlier about the time when you got sick and we weren't able to go with Gwen and the others.' He tightened his hold of her as she gave him a smirk.

'You could have gone. You weren't the one who was confined to their bed with a cold.' She reminded him.

'I'm going to let you in on a little secret,' He chuckled. 'I loathed the idea of fairs back then and I agreed to the idea of getting a group together purely so I could spend time with you. Then you ended up ill and when you didn't come down for dinner I realised that, since Mrs. Hughes and the others were all out, no-one was there to bring you anything. I didn't want you to have to sit in bed and starve for hours until the lot of them came back and Gwen brought something up for you, which is part of the reason why I brought up the tray.'

She fixed the collar on his shirt. _'Part_ of the reason?'

'I couldn't stop thinking about you,' He admitted while caressing her cheek with the back of his spare hand after leaning his cane against their bed. 'I kept wondering if you were all right and I kept getting distracted, which didn't please Mr. Carson, but I couldn't stop. I felt like I was going to go mad if I didn't see or speak to you, so I brought the tray because I wanted to help but also because I needed a reason to go and see you.' He chuckled when she shook her head at him with a smile and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle.

'You soft beggar…' She whispered before pressing a kiss onto his lips. 'That was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me and…and I think that it was that night when I started to realise that I was in love with you. I had known for weeks that something was different because I hated being apart from you and I didn't want to spend my time with anyone but you. I couldn't seem to put two and two together until that evening, though.' She curled her fingers into the back of his jacket and smiled when he gave her face a warm stroke.

'I love you,' He said while keeping one hand on her back to hold her close to him.

'I love you too,' She replied before lowering her gaze to her stomach. 'And I'm not the only one.'

He chuckled and laid his hand on the proof of their child. 'Mummy and I aren't completely alone, are we?'

The kick that followed seemed to answer his question and he brushed his thumb against his wife's stomach through her dress before she removed her arms from around his waist. 'We should go downstairs,' She told him after taking a step back from him and sliding her hand into his. 'I want to spend some time with Addie and say goodnight to her before the taxi gets here because we aren't going to be here to take her up to bed.'

'Right you are, darling.' He nodded.

The two of them shared a smile before John laced his fingers with her own and led her out of the bedroom.

* * *

'It's so strange to think that I had just turned six the last time I was here,' Anna shook her head in disbelief as she looked across the table at John after taking a sip of wine when the two of them were at Bagdale Hall. 'I remember telling dad that I didn't want a present off of him that year. He worked all the time and I never saw much of him, so I asked him to think of something that the two of us could do together. Two days later he took me into town and got me a beautiful dress and some shoes and then he brought me here for dinner.'

John couldn't help but smile to himself as he looked into her eyes and saw the happiness that lived in them. 'It sounds as though your father adored you,' He reached for her hand. 'Which doesn't surprise me one bit.'

She giggled and brushed her thumb across his knuckles. 'In the summer, when I was little, I used to go and stand on the gate and wait until I saw dad coming up the lane. Then I would run down to him and he would put me on his shoulders and take me home. In the winter, Alice and I used to sit together and watch for him through the sitting room window. He used to pull faces at us when he walked through the gate,' She looked at John again and gave his hand a squeeze. 'I think you would have gotten on so well with him, you know.'

'Do you think he would have approved of our relationship?' He asked before taking a long sip of his water.

She nodded with a soft smile. 'There's no doubt in my mind that, if he had been alive, he would have come to Ripon and walked me down the aisle when we married. The age-gap between us wouldn't have mattered to him, just like the fact that you walk with a cane wouldn't have mattered to him. He would have seen that I was happy with you and that would have been all he cared about. He would have loved you like a son and I'm positive that he would have adored Adelaide and been just as delighted about this baby as my mum is.'

'I hope that he would have felt as though I treat you right…' He tucked one of her fair curls behind her ear.

'You make me the happiest woman living and I know that he would have known that.' She reassured him.

He gave her face a stroke with the backs of his fingers before she smiled at him and took a sip of lemonade. Moments later, she felt their child begin to move and laughed as she laid her hand on her rounded stomach. 'I think that this little one likes lemonade because she moves around and kicks whenever I have some.' She smirked while gazing over at her husband before she noticed that he was smirking back at her. 'What is it?'

'You said _she_.' He told her.

She rolled her eyes in a good-natured fashion. 'You keep going on about the baby being a girl, that's why!'

'What do you think we're going to have?' He asked.

'I'm not sure,' She admitted while stroking her stomach. 'Sometimes I think it's a girl and then it changes.'

'Well, it won't be too long before we find out now.' He reminded her, the excitement sparkling in his eyes.

She leaned back in her chair once their child had settled down once again. 'I feel a little nervous.'

'Nervous about the birth? Or about getting used to having a baby around the house?' He inquired.

'Both,' She replied. 'But I'm more nervous about the birth.'

He ran his thumb across the back of her hand. 'Do you think having me in the room with you would help?'

'I'd love to have you in the room with me, but doctor Clarkson would never allow it.' She sighed.

'When the time comes, he's going to be the one coming into our house and we're going to be the ones who get to make the decisions,' He pointed out. 'I don't care what he says. If you need me to be there, I will be.'

She let out a sigh of relief. 'We could ask Mrs. Hughes if she'll have Adelaide with her at Downton, too.'

'I think that's a good idea,' He nodded. 'She won't understand what's happening and I think it'll be easier.'

'I want to make you proud of me.' She said.

He couldn't help but smile as he laid his hand on her cheek. 'I'm never anything _but_ proud of you, darling.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too…' He replied. 'More than you could possibly imagine.'

* * *

John pulled a roasted chestnut out of the bag that his wife offered to him before winding an arm around her shoulders and allowing her to move closer to him on the bench. After he had eaten the chestnut he gave the side of her head a kiss before sighing into her hair and taking in the sight of the fair. The thought of coming back the following afternoon with his little girl filled him with excitement. He couldn't wait to see her eyes light up when she saw the carousel for the first time and to hear her laughter as she went around on a horse.

He and Anna hadn't planned on taking Victoria with them, but when Adelaide had asked if she could come the two of them hadn't had the heart to refuse. Their little girl had formed such a bond with her cousin over the last couple of days, something that had come as rather a surprise, and watching her spend time with her had become one of their favourite things to do. It astounded them that the girls managed to understand each other even though Victoria couldn't hear and Adelaide hadn't the slightest idea of how to do sign language.

The fact that their little girl accepted Victoria for who she was, despite her being deaf, made them so proud.

'Tonight was perfect…' He turned his attention to his wife at the sound of her voice.

Bringing his free hand up to her face, he cupped her cheek beneath the curtain of her hair and ran his thumb over her skin. 'It was. I don't think you realise how much I've missed being able to have you all to myself.'

'Trust me, I do,' She told him before eating another roasted chestnut. 'I've missed it as much as you have.'

'Perhaps we should make more time for ourselves when we go home,' He stroked her arm with his fingers. 'How about, maybe one night a week, we put Addie to bed a little earlier so that we can have an hour-or-so to ourselves before we go to bed? I know that all of that will change when this little one arrives, but we can see how it goes and if we need to alter things a little, we will.' He felt his heart swell within his chest when Anna gave him a beautiful, albeit tired, smile and snuggled closer to him on the bench to share his warmth.

'I like that idea.' She hummed while resting her head on his shoulder.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. 'I think it's time for us to head home. You need to go to bed.'

'I think you're right.' She rolled up the bag of roasted chestnuts.

'Can I get that in writing?' He smirked.

'Oh, be quiet.' She laughed.

The two of them then rose from the bench before he shrugged out of his jacket, draped it over her shoulders and slid an arm around her waist. 'Can we have tomorrow morning to ourselves? Just you, me and Addie?'

'You aren't asking because you feel bad about leaving her tonight, are you?' He raised his brow.

'No, it's not that, I just feel as though we haven't made time to just cuddle with her over the last few days.'

He felt his love for her deepen. 'Have I ever told you how perfect you are?'

'Mmm…once or twice.' She leaned against him.

'Well, you are,' He lowered his head to brush a kiss against her lips. 'You're so, so perfect.'

She smirked at him before using a hand to hold his jacket closed around her, her eyes falling closed of their own accord when he brought her closer and left a number of kisses to the side of her head. The two of them then fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of their footsteps and the music from the fair the only sounds to be heard as they embarked on the short walk back to her mother's house.

* * *

Anna was sound asleep when John pulled back the covers and climbed into bed next to her and he couldn't help but smile at how angelic she looked. Several strands of hair had escaped from her braid and fallen into her face, there was the softest blush in her cheeks and one of her hands were resting next to her head on her pillow. He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't stir as he laid himself down beside her and, after giving her a kiss on the hairline, he turned off the lamp that sat on his nightstand and darkness fell over their room.

For the next couple of minutes, as he laid beside his sleeping wife, he listened to the sound of her breathing before turning his head in her direction and running the back of his hand down her cheek. He was worn out after the long evening the two of them had had, he wouldn't lie about that, but he had had such a wonderful time that he didn't mind. He had loved dining with her, talking to her about her father and taking her to the fair and he knew that she felt the same. 'Goodnight, sweetheart…' He whispered while watching her sleep.

His eyes began to sting as he settled down beneath the covers a short time later and he knew that, seeing as though he had a long day ahead of him, he needed to get some rest. Once his hand had found Anna's under the quilt he laced his fingers with hers, ran his thumb across her knuckles and closed his eyes before letting the sound of her gentle snores lull him into a blissful slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter and I hope that it was all right for you all! If you have the time, please let me know your thoughts in a review! I'll see you all soon :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 30! I can't believe how many chapters this fan-fiction has now! I don't know how much longer this fic will continue for, but I shouldn't think it will be more than ten chapters. We'll see, though! I hope that you're all still enjoying this fan-fiction and thank you all so much for your continued support and your lovely words!**

* * *

'If you ask me if I'm certain one more time, John Bates, I'm going to give you a clip 'round the ear,' Anna smirked as she caressed her stomach and watched her husband fasten the top button on his shirt from where she was sat up in bed. 'I can't even remember the last time the two of you spent the afternoon together and you know just as well as I do that Addie adores having you all to herself. This little one is going to be here before we know it, too, meaning that you and I have to spend as much time with her as possible because we won't have a lot of time to do that in a couple of weeks.'

Once he had turned down the collar on his shirt, John walked over to their bed before sitting down and taking her hand in his. 'I know that you're worried that Adelaide is going to start feeling left out when the baby's here,' He ran the pad of his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. 'But that's not going to happen, I promise you, because we're going to make as much time for her as we can. She might not like it in the beginning because she hasn't shared us with someone else before, but once things have settled down a little she's going to be fine and things will return to normal.'

She offered him a smile before he brought her hand to his lips and brushed the sweetest kiss against the finger that her wedding band sat on. 'I was wondering if you would have a word with her at some point while you're out. I know that there's a chance that she won't understand, but I'd feel a little more at ease if she had some idea about what things are going to change and what things are going to stay the same when the baby's here.' She smoothed her thumb across his rough knuckles while gazing into his eyes before he moved closer to her and her eyes closed when he kissed her brow.

'I'll speak to her,' He reassured her. 'I just wish that you could come with us.'

'If I came with you then I would have to miss out on going to the beach tomorrow,' She explained. 'I wouldn't be able to manage both days – I'd be too worn out – and walking around town all afternoon wouldn't do my back the slightest bit of good. I'm going to be fine though because mum's here and Alice is coming over at half-past four with Victoria,' It was then that she felt a swift kick from the little life within her and ran the palm of her hand across her stomach with a laugh. 'Of course I'll have this little one to keep me from getting bored as well. It's been wriggling around for ages.'

John placed his hand on her stomach through their quilt before chuckling when he felt their child move underneath his palm. 'I want you to behave for your mummy and let her get some sleep while your sister and I are out, misses, do you hear me?' He lifted his gaze to his wife and revelled in the smile that was on her lips before lowering his head to press a tender kiss onto her stomach. When he sat upright once again he saw the look that was in Anna's eyes and placed his hand on her cheek. 'I don't suppose I have to ask if you want one as well, do I?' He asked her with a raise of his brow.

'It would be a stupid question if you did,' She replied which caused him to smirk before he laid his hand on the side of her neck beneath the curtain of her hair and ran his thumb along her jawline. He then leaned in and captured her lower lip in a long and soft kiss. The two of them parted just seconds later, but just as he started to draw back she cupped the side of his neck in her palm and brought him back to her before leaving one more kiss on his lips. 'If it's not too much trouble, would you mind picking me up a hot water bottle while you're out? It might help my backache.' She told him.

'Of course,' He nodded. 'Get some sleep while you have the chance, all right?'

'I will,' She promised him. 'Now, you should go downstairs because you know how Addie gets when she's impatient.'

The two of them chuckled together before he brought his hands to her face and leaned forward to press his lips against her hairline. 'I love you…' He said while playing with her hair before moving one hand to her stomach. 'Both of you.'

'We love you too,' She sighed. 'So much.'

Once he had run his hand across her stomach once more and stood from the bed he walked to the bedroom door before opening it and turning back to her. 'I don't think we're going to be gone too long. Two or three hours at most, I think.'

'Don't feel as though you have to rush back. Take your time.' She leaned back into the pillows with a smile.

'I'll see you soon,' He said.

He then gave her one last smile before leaving the room, closing the door behind him and walking down the hall to the stairs. It didn't take him long to descend them and once he had he chuckled as Adelaide came rushing out of the sitting room. 'Please can we go now, daddy, please can we go now?' She asked with hope sparkling in her eyes once she was standing in front of him. 'I've got my coat and scarf and gloves on and the pennies you gave me are in my handbag, so _please_ can we go?' The fact that she couldn't stand still proved how impatient she was and he couldn't help but laugh.

'Patience, princess,' He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. 'I still need to put my hat, coat and gloves on and then we need to wait for the taxi to get here so that we can be driven into town. Your little legs would be so tired if we walked to town and then we would have to come straight back home because you wouldn't be able to walk around the shops. You don't want to have to do that, do you?' He smiled when she shook her head in response before he followed her back into the sitting room. 'Do you know what you're going to be spending your pennies on when we're in town?'

She nodded at him while clambering up onto the settee before making herself comfortable against one of the cushions. 'I want to spend all the pennies on a present for the baby,' She admitted as she watched him pull on his coat and begin to do up the buttons. 'It doesn't have teddies to cuddle with in mummy's tummy and it might want one once it's born.'

John stopped fastening up the front of his coat when his little girl's words began to sink in and, after looking at her for a moment, he walked over to the settee before sitting next to her. 'Sweetheart, mummy and I can get the baby as many teddies as it wants – you don't have to spend all of your pennies on one. You could get a new doll or a princess dress.'

'But…but I have dollies and princess dresses at home,' She reminded him. 'And I'm the baby's big sister, daddy.'

John felt his heart swell inside his chest. 'Are you positive that you want to do this? Teddies can be expensive, Addie.'

'I want to,' She said. 'I want to give it a present so that it knows I love it.'

'You,' He took her hand in his before lifting it up to his lips and kissing the back of it. 'Are going to be the best sister.'

She giggled in response before he ran his thumb across her knuckles and rose from the settee again to continue getting dressed. 'Will it be much longer until mummy has the baby, daddy?' She sighed while watching him move around the sitting room. 'It's been ages and ages and I don't feel like waiting anymore. I want it to be here so that I can cuddle it.'

John smiled at her impatience to meet her little brother or sister as he found his gloves and pulled them onto his hands. 'The doctor told her that she has around seven weeks left, darling, but we might not have to wait that long because the baby could decide that it wants to come and meet us a little earlier,' He told her. 'She and I are just as impatient as you are, but it's important that – over the next few weeks – you and I make sure she gets as much rest as possible, isn't it?'

'She's tired and her back hurts,' She nodded. 'We need to take care of her.'

'We do,' He agreed. 'Just like she always takes care of us.'

The two of them shared a smile before he turned his head to look out of the window and saw their taxi pull up outside. 'Come on then, you, the taxi's here,' He said with a smile before Adelaide hopped off of the settee and walked over to him so that she could take his hand. When they walked into the hall, Ellen came out of the kitchen and gave them both a smile. 'The taxi's outside. I've told Anna to sleep while we're gone, but would you keep checking in on her for me?'

'Of course I will. I'll go up every hour-or-so, so you don't need to be worried about her.' She reassured him.

'Thank you,' He smiled. 'Say goodbye to nanny, Addie.'

Adelaide beamed at her grandmother while holding onto his hand. 'Bye-bye, nanny!'

'Bye-bye, darling,' Ellen stepped forward to press a kiss to the crown of her head. 'You have fun, all right?'

Adelaide nodded before her father opened the front door and she turned around so that the two of them could leave the cottage and start walking to the taxi. Just before they reached the gate, however, she heard the sound of knocking from above and looked up before her eyes lit up at the sight of her mother standing in their bedroom window. 'It's mummy, daddy, it's mummy!' She tugged on his hand while pointing at her mother before he stopped and turned around so that he could look up. Anna waved to them through the window, then, and they couldn't help but laugh while waving back.

'We shouldn't keep the driver waiting, precious,' He said just moments later before his little girl turned around and he opened the gate. Once the two of them had walked out of the garden he shut the gate behind them and smiled up at his wife before leading Adelaide towards the taxi. 'The town centre, please,' He informed the driver while getting into the car after his little girl. He then allowed Adelaide to climb into his lap before she leaned against his chest and he buried a kiss into her soft hair. 'Are you looking forward to our afternoon in town?' He asked her once the car was in motion.

'Yep,' She snuggled against him. 'I love spending time with you, daddy.'

'I love spending time with you too,' He ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. 'It's one of my favourite things.'

* * *

'I don't know which colour to get,' Adelaide sighed as she turned to her father while standing beside him in a toy shop sometime later with a pink teddy-bear in one hand and a blue one in the other. 'I don't want to surprise the baby with a blue teddy-bear if it's a girl and I don't want to surprise it with a pink teddy-bear if it's a boy. Which do I get, daddy?'

John thought for a moment before taking another look at the different teddies on the shelf and seeing a little white one. 'How do you feel about getting this one?' He asked after getting it down from the shelf and showing it to her. 'We can get a round of pink ribbon and a round of blue ribbon, too, so that when the baby's born and we know if it's a boy or a girl we can use the right colour to tie a bow around its neck.' Something about how his little girl's eyes sparkled at his suggestion told him that she was in favour of the idea and he laughed softly when she returned the teddies to the shelf.

'That's the best idea ever!' She exclaimed after accepting the teddy-bear from him. 'You're so clever, daddy!'

'Thank you, sweetheart,' He smoothed his hand over her hair. 'Shall we take it over to the counter and get it paid for?'

She nodded her response before he turned around and she followed him to the counter which had an elderly lady stood behind it. There was a step-stool in front of the counter and so, when she reached it, she stepped up onto it and laid the white bear down on the counter. 'Please may I get this bear?' She asked when the elderly lady gave her a tender smile.

'Seeing as though you asked so politely, of course you can!' The woman replied. 'Is it for you?'

Adelaide shook her head. 'My mummy is going to have a baby soon and I wanted to get a present for it.'

'Is this the first time you've been a big sister?' The shopkeeper inquired.

'Yes,' Adelaide said. 'I've been practicing with my dollies so that I can help.'

The elderly woman smiled at John before taking hold of the teddy-bear and checking the price which was on the label. 'That'll be seven shillings,' She said before Adelaide gave her handbag to her father so that he could get out the seven shillings that the shopkeeper had asked for. 'Thank you,' The woman opened the till once he had given her the money. 'Would you like me to put the teddy-bear in a bag for you, sweetheart, so that it's a little easier for you to take home?'

'Yes, please,' Adelaide replied before she found a paper bag, put the teddy-bear inside and gave it to her. 'Thank you.'

She looked up at her father when he laid his hand on her spine through her coat before the two of them shared a smile. 'We should be off, darling, because we still have to get mummy a few things before we get the bus back.' He told her.

'All right, daddy,' She took his hand so he could help her off of the step-stool. 'Thank you for the teddy, shopkeeper.'

'You're welcome,' The woman beamed. 'Thank _you_ for being so polite.'

Once the two of them had said goodbye, Adelaide followed her father out of the shop before he closed the door behind them and turned to her. 'Your mummy and nanny would've been so proud if they had seen how polite you were to the lady in there,' He ran his thumb over the back of her hand through her glove. 'You've been such a good girl ever since we got here and I think you deserve a treat. Shall we find a café and I'll get you a cake and something warm to drink?'

'Yes please!' She gasped.

'Come on then.' He chuckled before leaning down to kiss the top of her head and leading her down the bustling street.

It didn't take too long for the two of them to find a small café on the corner and it pleased John to see that it was rather quiet. 'Please can we sit on that table next to the window, daddy? I want to watch the seagulls and I want to look at the sea.' Adelaide pointed at the booth before gazing up at her father and smiling when he looked down and met her gaze.

'We can sit wherever you want,' He reassured her before she slid her hand out of his and ran over to the booth that she had had her eye set on. Once he had reached the booth he sat down beside her and watched her look out of the window for a couple of minutes. 'Do you know what cake you want and what drink you want to have?' He asked her when she sat down next to him at last and took off her gloves before placing them on the table and clasping her hands in her lap.

'Can I have a chocolate cake and a hot chocolate, please?' She asked after leaning against him and looking up at him.

'You can,' He kissed her temple. 'There's something that mummy wanted me to talk to you about while we're out and I thought that I would do that while we're here. You're not in trouble and you haven't done a thing wrong, but she and I just want to be certain that you know what things are going to change and what things aren't when she has the baby.' He wrapped his arm around her and brought her close before allowing her to lie her head on his chest, the two of them sharing a smile when she tilted her head back to meet his gaze and he slid several errant strands of hair behind her ear.

'The first thing that we want you to know is that we're going to be a lot busier when the baby's here than we are now,' He sighed. 'It might seem as though we give the baby a lot of attention, but that's because the baby is going to need us to do everything for it. It's going to need us to feed it, to change it, to dress it and to give it a bath. You'll have to learn to share mummy and I, too, because there are going to be times when we're spending time with you and the baby cries because it needs one of us.' He stopped speaking for a second to give her time to take in all that he had just said to her.

'Will you have to stop reading to me before I go to sleep?' She asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

'No, princess, of course we won't,' He was quick to reassure her. 'One of us will still come upstairs to tuck you in and read to you before you go to sleep, no matter how worn out we are, so that's one thing that isn't going to be changing.'

He saw the relief that was in her eyes before she cuddled against him.

Just as he began to speak to her again the waitress came walking over to the two of them and he gave her a smile when she went into the front pocket of her apron for her notepad. 'What can I get for you both?' She raised her brow at him.

'One piece of chocolate cake, a small hot chocolate and a tea, please.' He told her before she made a note of his order.

'Is that everything?' She asked when she looked at him once again.

'Yes, thank you.' He nodded before she smiled and walked back over to the kitchen.

Seconds later, he felt a tug on the lapel of his jacket. 'What else is going to be different when the baby's here, daddy?' Adelaide asked with inquisitiveness sparkling in her eyes when he gazed down at her again and she cuddled up to him.

'You won't be able to sleep in our bed as much because we'll have to keep getting up through the night to take care of the baby,' He said. 'You can get into our bed for a quick cuddle before you have to go to sleep if you like and you can come into our bed in the morning, but mummy and I don't want you to be woken by the baby. We want you to be able to get some sleep and you won't be able to do that if the baby cries and keeps waking you up all night long, will you?'

She shook her head.

'There won't be a lot of changes, darling, and none of the changes are going to be bad, but mummy and I both thought that it would be better to talk to you about them so that it doesn't come as a shock,' He tightened his hold of her. 'You are going to be a wonderful older sister, though, and we both know that you're going to make us the proudest parents.'

'I'm so excited.' She shifted into his lap before leaning against him and curling her fingers into his shirt.

He chuckled and ran a hand over her hair while pressing a kiss onto her forehead. 'So am I.'

The two of them shared a smile before he looked up and saw the waitress walking towards their booth once again with a tray in her hands. 'One piece of chocolate cake, one hot chocolate and one cup of tea,' She lifted the things off of the tray and put them down on the table before bringing the tray into her hands again and turning to John. 'I asked them to put a little extra milk in the hot chocolate to cool it down a little for her. Just in case it was too hot.' She informed him.

'Thank you, that was kind,' He offered her a smile. 'What do you say, Addie?'

Adelaide stopped drinking her hot chocolate and looked up at the waitress. 'Thank you!'

'You're welcome,' The waitress laughed. 'Enjoy.'

She then left the two of them alone again and returned to the kitchen before John snugged Adelaide closer to his chest. 'It won't be long until we can go home when we're finished here, darling. We just need to head to the haberdashery to get some ribbon and then to a shop so that I can get mummy a hot water bottle for her back pain.' He explained to her.

'All right,' She set down her cup of hot chocolate. 'Will Victoria still be at nanny's house when we get back?'

'She and auntie Alice are eating dinner with us tonight, so yes,' He said. 'They're coming to the beach tomorrow, too.'

Her eyes lit up. 'Can mummy come with us to the beach? I want her to see the sea with us.'

'We're all going to the beach. Me, you, mummy, auntie Alice, Victoria and nanny.' He told her.

'One day, daddy, the baby will be able to come to the beach with us as well!' She pointed out while looking up at him.

He smiled at the thought. 'You're right! That'll be fun, won't it?'

'Yep!' She beamed.

A comfortable silence fell over the two of them then and John watched as she began to eat her piece of chocolate cake. There weren't words to describe just how much she meant to him. It was odd to think that, at one point, he was unsure of whether or not he wanted to adopt her because he couldn't imagine his life without her in it anymore. He knew that, when the baby arrived, he and Anna were going to have their work cut out for them, but he was positive that neither of them would push Adelaide out. She was so precious to the two of them and neither one of them would ever forget her.

Not ever.

* * *

As soon as her father had shut the front door behind the two of them later that afternoon, Adelaide ran straight into the sitting room and over to where her mother was sat on the settee before clambering onto it and sitting down next to her. She then wrapped both arms around her neck in a gentle hug before smiling when she felt her run a hand over her hair. 'Hello, you,' Her mother smiled at her once she'd pulled back from her and met her gaze. 'Have you had a nice time?'

'Yes,' She nodded. 'Daddy took me to a café and he bought me a cake and a hot chocolate!'

'Did he? That was kind of him!' Anna gave her husband a tender look when he walked into the sitting room.

'Would you like to see what I bought?' Adelaide asked while bringing the paper bag into her lap.

'Go on, then.' Anna nodded before putting an arm around her and bringing her close.

Adelaide then got the white bear out of the paper bag before placing it in her lap and going into the bag once again for the pink and blue rolls of ribbon. 'I wanted to get the baby a present for when it's born, mummy, but I couldn't choose a pink teddy or a blue teddy because I don't know if it's a girl or a boy. I didn't know what to do, but then daddy came up with a _brilliant_ idea!' She looked at her father when he sat down beside her on the settee with a gentle chuckle. 'He said that we should get the white one and get some ribbon so that we could pick the right colour once the baby's here!'

For a couple of seconds after her little girl had explained everything to her, Anna sat in silence with tears of happiness in her eyes before a trembling sigh left her. 'You spent all of your money on a present for the baby?' She smiled at her.

Adelaide nodded. 'I have lots of teddies at home, mummy, but the baby doesn't and I wanted it to have one off of me.'

'You little darling,' Anna sniffled before pressing her lips to the side of her daughter's head. 'That's so lovely of you!'

She felt a series of little kicks from within her then and took Adelaide's hand in hers before bringing it to her stomach. 'You feel all that kicking? It's kicking because it knows what your voice sounds like now, princess, and it's so excited to meet you,' She told her. 'It loves you so much already and it's going to love you even more when you give this bear to it.' She saw Adelaide's eyes sparkle before her little girl moved closer to her and gave her stomach a careful caress.

'I don't mind if I have a sister or a brother, mummy,' Adelaide said. 'I'll still love it.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' Anna laughed before giving her a squeeze. 'Now, why don't you head out into the back garden? I think there might well be a certain someone out there who's been waiting for you to come back for quite a while now.'

Adelaide gasped before a bright smile graced her features. 'Victoria!'

John and Anna couldn't help but chuckle at their little girl's excitement.

'Mummy, mummy, please will you take care of the bear?' Adelaide asked before placing the bear in her mother's lap.

'Of course.' Anna reassured her before watching her hop off of the settee and run out of the sitting room.

Once the two of them were alone, John shuffled closer to her on the settee and slid an arm around her shoulders before she leaned against him and allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. 'You do realise that she's going to be awake most of the night now that she's had all of that sugar, don't you?' She smirked at him. 'You could have allowed her to have a cake _or_ a hot chocolate, but _no…'_ She and John looked at one another for just a second before bursting into laughter.

'She deserved a treat after how polite she was to everyone we met today,' He told her. 'She made me so proud of her.'

She smiled up at him. 'I missed you both.'

'We missed you too,' He told her quietly before pressing his lips against hers. 'Did you manage to get some sleep?'

'I did,' She replied. 'I must have needed it, too, because I woke up about fifteen minutes before you arrived home.'

He ran his fingers along her arm. 'That doesn't surprise me one bit. You've had some awful nights, sweetheart.'

'I can't believe we travel home in three days,' She pouted. 'The last two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye.'

'They have, but once we go home it won't be long until this little one arrives.' He laid his hand on her stomach.

She sighed while he traced a soft circle into it before looking at him. 'Are you sure you don't mind being at the birth?'

'Of course I don't mind,' He shook his head. 'I promise you that I'm going to be right beside you from beginning to end.'

She snuggled closer to him. 'I apologise in advance if I break your hand.'

He laughed out loud at that before pressing numerous kisses onto her temple. 'I'd bear anything for you.'

Her lips curled up into a smile as she thought back to how she had said similar words to those to him many years ago.

'Me too, my darling,' She whispered. 'Me too…'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and I hope that you liked it! Please, if you have the time, leave a review to let me know what you thought of it and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

 **In response to Irene's review: I'm so glad that you like this fic! I'm afraid that I don't have a strict uploading schedule - I just post chapters when I complete them - but writer's block hasn't been too much of an issue at the moment so I'm hoping things remain that way. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up tomorrow or the day after, but I'm not sure if that'll happen yet. I hope you continue to enjoy, though, and thank you (and everyone else as well) for your kind words!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: Thank you all for coming back to read this chapter. It means so much to me. I hope that you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

The feeling of his wife leaning her head against his shoulder made John smile as he strolled along the promenade with her and he brushed a kiss against her temple when he turned his head in her direction. He knew that she had had rather a rough night. Their baby had been moving around and kicking for most of the night and then it had managed to get its foot stuck in her ribs which had left her in terrible pain. Once she had coaxed their child into moving and freed its foot from her ribs the pain had dissipated, but she'd still been tossing and turning all night and he knew she was exhausted.

Still, she had insisted on joining him and the others at the beach and he had known that attempting to change her mind would have been futile. He had still told her that she needed to take her time, however, hence why the two of them had hung back while Ellen and Alice took the girls to find a spot on the beach. She looked so beautiful in the dress that she and Adelaide had picked out. It was a pale blue dress with chiffon sleeves – a leaving present from Lady Mary – and it clung to the roundness of her stomach, meaning that the proof of their love for one another was much more noticeable.

She had been caressing her bump ever since he had helped her out of the taxi and he had to admit that he was so proud of her for that. More often than not, if she popped into town or something, she would hide her bump underneath one of her coats. It wasn't that she was ashamed of being seen with one – she had no reason to be since she was married – but she had never been fond of people staring at her. She was wearing her bump with pride this morning, however, and he felt happier than he could explain. 'You look so gorgeous.' He mumbled against her forehead before kissing her there.

She tilted her head back on his shoulder with a soft smile, the breeze that came in from the ocean brushing through her hair as she cuddled against him. 'I don't feel it,' She admitted with a giggle. 'I'm beginning to resemble some beached mammal and I can't even walk up the stairs or get dressed without breaking a sweat anymore,' She felt her heart swell when he rolled his eyes at her self-deprecation before she rose onto her tiptoes and gave him a languid kiss on the lips. 'But you're a darling and I can't even begin to tell you just how much I love you for saying that.' They shared a smile.

For the next couple of minutes, the two of them walked in comfortable silence until they reached the stone steps which led down to the beach and caught sight of the others. Ellen and Alice were sat together at the bottom of the steps while Adelaide and Victoria ran around together just feet ahead of them. It didn't take them long to walk down the steps and once they had, Anna sat down beside her sister and gave her a smile before John sat down beside her with a deep sigh. 'The two of them get on so well together,' Alice turned to her sister. 'Addie's just so patient and gentle with Victoria.'

'She has rather a protective side to her,' Anna explained while keeping an eye on her little girl. 'Miss Marigold, one of the children back at Downton, is two and Adelaide never leaves her side when I take her up to Downton to see her and the other children. I don't think I have to be worried about this little one,' She ran a hand over her stomach and felt her heart race when her child kicked in response. 'Adelaide's so excited for it to be born and she's practised taking care of her dolls so that she knows how to help me look after the baby when the time comes.' She and Alice laughed together.

Once the two of them had watched their daughters run around together for a while, Alice shifted closer to her sister on the step. 'I wish you weren't leaving again so soon,' She told her. 'I couldn't sleep last night and I kept thinking about the last time you left when we were kids. You…you don't think it'll be years before we see each other again, do you?'

Anna felt her heart sink as she looked at her sister and took in the expression that was on her face. It was the same one she had worn when she had told her that she was leaving home and on the morning she'd gotten into their uncle's trap. It was heartbreak and uncertainty because she didn't want her to leave and she didn't know if she would see her again.

'No,' She shook her head while wrapping an arm around Alice. 'I'll never leave it that long again, I promise you that.'

Alice breathed a sigh of relief. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' Anna gave her a gentle squeeze. 'So much.'

* * *

'John?' Anna looked up at her husband while walking along the shore with him sometime later.

'Hmm?' He tightened his hold of her hand.

'Would you mind if I invited mum and Alice and Victoria to come and stay with us at Downton sometime?' She asked him. 'It would be a bit of a squeeze, I know, but we could make up a bed on the floor in Addie's room for Victoria and there are two beds in the guest bedroom for mum and Alice. What do you think?' She watched him think for a second.

'When were you thinking?' He asked.

She shrugged. 'Around the holidays, maybe?'

'I think that might be a little too soon, sweetheart,' He admitted after turning his head to meet her gaze. 'You'll still be recovering from the birth around that time and the last thing I want is for you to push yourself and wear yourself out. I think, for the first month at least, it should just be the four of us at home until things have settled somewhat. She might be excited, but Addie's still going to need a little time to adjust and I think she'll find it easier to do that if it's just us.'

She nodded. 'I see what you mean. She's not the only one who's going to need time to adjust either.'

There was no doubt in his mind that she was referring to their little Bella who was waiting for them back at the cottage in Downton. Bella was the kitten that he and Adelaide had bought her for her birthday just a couple of weeks back. She'd been the runt of the litter and Mr. Mason had doubted that she would live, but over time she had gotten stronger and she had thrived. He realised that she was a cat, but her strength and feistiness had reminded him so much of Anna.

His wife had been through so much – more than he cared to remember – but instead of giving in she had fought and in doing so she had grown stronger. She and Bella had both had their troubles, but both of them had fought through them and there had been no doubt in his mind that Bella had been perfect for his wife. He could still remember the look that his wife had given him when he had entered their bedroom with the kitten in his arms and it still made him smile now.

She had been speechless.

He had loved watching her and Bella together over the last couple of weeks. She had been so much calmer since she'd joined them and one of the things he loved the most was walking into the sitting room at night to find her on the settee with Bella sleeping on her bump. He knew that it had broken her heart to leave her behind in order to visit her mother, but Mrs. Hughes had been checking in on her and there was no doubt in his mind that she had been extremely spoiled.

'How do you think she's going to react when she sees the baby?' He chuckled.

She giggled in response. 'I think she'll run a mile, the darling.'

'She'll just have to get used to it,' He released her hand in order to wrap his arm around her and pull her closer to him. 'You're sick to death of hearing me say it now, I know, but I don't think I can wait much longer to hold this little one.'

There was a smile on her lips when she looked up at him. 'Well, you might not have to…'

'What do you mean?' He stopped walking for a moment.

She sighed. 'I've been having practice contractions over the last couple of days.'

'When were you planning on telling me?' He asked.

'When I was certain that you weren't going to go into a blind panic and telephone the doctor whenever I had one,' She teased. 'There's no doubt in my mind, given how protective and excited you've been over the past couple of days, that you would have thought I was in labour if I had told you,' The sound of his chuckle made her heart flutter in her chest. 'It's nothing to shout about for the time being, but I think these practice contractions mean that it's…it's almost time.'

He cupped her face through her hair. 'I can't believe it.'

'I love you…' She wrapped her arms around his waist and stepped closer to him.

'I love you too,' He reassured her. 'Now come here.'

She smirked against his lips and curled her fingers into the back of his coat when he caught her in a long and soft kiss. 'Mummy! Daddy!' The two of them pulled apart at the sound of their little girl's voice after a time and after releasing her husband from her hold, Anna smiled as she watched Adelaide run down the beach towards the two of them. 'Can I paddle in the ocean? Please?' Adelaide asked with hope in her eyes after putting both arms around her mother's waist.

'I don't think that's a good idea, princess, it's not too warm and I don't want you ill.' Anna ran her hand over her hair.

Adelaide's face fell. 'Please? Just for a little while?'

'I think I have a better idea,' John laid his hand on her back which prompted her to turn around and look at him. 'How about we go and get your coat and then mummy and I will take you and Victoria to get some sweeties from the shop?'

Adelaide turned back to her mother with hope in her eyes. 'Can we, mummy, can we?'

'Of course we can,' Anna nodded before laughing when her little girl turned on her heel and began to race back up the beach to where Victoria was sitting with Alice and Ellen. 'If you want me to walk to the sweet shop with you, you can get _me_ some sweets as well.' She told her husband when he put his arm around her and began to lead her up the beach.

'A bag of pear drops and a bottle of lemonade?' He ran his hand along her waist through her coat.

She leaned against him. 'Mmm…you know me so well.'

'That I do, my darling,' He kissed her cheek. 'That I do.'

* * *

John ran his fingers through his little girl's red curls and smiled down at her while holding her in his arms as she slept. She had stopped building her sandcastle and come to him not too long ago, complaining that she was beginning to feel tired and so he had drawn her into his lap and let her cuddle against him. He had realised that she had been rather quiet after holding her for a while, however, and when he had looked down at her he had realised that she had nodded off in his arms. The sight had made his heart swell. He adored it when she settled and fell asleep while curled up in his arms.

'She has the right idea.' His wife laughed as she moved closer to him on the step and he couldn't help but smile at her.

Once he had pressed a kiss to the top of their daughter's head, he took one arm from around her and wrapped it around Anna's waist before pulling her closer and running his fingers through her hair when she laid her head on his shoulder. 'If you're getting tired, darling, we can think about heading home. The last thing I want is for you to wear yourself out and end up unwell.' He told her after kissing her on the forehead and looking into her eyes when she looked up at him.

'I'm fine for the time being,' She reassured him with a shake of her head while resting a hand on his chest. 'I just want to sit here with you for a while,' The two of them shared a smile before she settled into his side and brushed a soft kiss against his lips. The feeling of their unborn child moving inside her made her pull back seconds later and she sighed to herself as she smoothed her hand across her ever-growing bump. 'I hope you're prepared to have your arms full soon.'

'I've been prepared for that since the moment I found out that this little one was coming.' John admitted after slipping his arm around her and settling his hand over hers on her stomach. He then laced their fingers and she laid her head on his shoulder before he looked down at Adelaide when she stirred in his arms. To his relief, instead of opening her eyes she brushed her hair out of her face and huffed before snuggling closer to him and drifting back into her deep slumber.

He heard his wife sigh with happiness and watched her reach out to run a hand over their daughter's untameable curls. There weren't enough words to describe the love that he possessed for them both. For them and for the little being that would soon be making its big entrance. Each morning when he woke up beside Anna, he knew that he had all he could ever hope for and each time their little girl ran into their room for her morning cuddle his conviction was strengthened.

He couldn't ask for more.

His life, at long last, was perfect.

* * *

It was rather late that evening, once she had gotten Adelaide off to sleep and John had finished packing their suitcases when Anna climbed into bed beside her husband and leaned back against the headboard. There was an all-too-familiar ache in her abdomen and it seemed to be getting stronger as the moments passed. She could tell that it was another one of those tiresome practice contractions – she hadn't had one since breakfast and there were no further signs of labour – but it seemed to be somewhat stronger than prior ones she had had and she hummed as she laid a hand on her stomach.

'Darling?' John frowned with concern as he looked up from the book in his hands. 'What is it?'

She ran her hand back and forth across her stomach and turned her head in his direction when the discomfort started to lessen. 'It's just another one of those practice contractions,' She huffed while shuffling closer to him beneath the quilt. 'It's nothing to fret about, I promise you, it's just that that one was a little more painful than ones I've had in the past.'

He offered her a smile before bookmarking his page, closing his book and placing it on the nightstand in order to open his arms to her. Once she had shuffled into his arms she laid herself down a little and rested her head on his chest. The sound of her contented sigh as the hairs on his chest tickled her face caused him to hold her tighter and kiss her crown. 'I think you were right to tell your mum that you want to take it easier tomorrow,' He murmured into her hair. 'I doubt that the train will get us back to Downton before dinnertime the day after and I want you and Addie to be fully rested.'

She nodded against his chest before sliding an arm over his stomach and tilting her head back so that she could look at him. 'I'm worn out and I'm certain that I'll be paying for it in the morning, but I had a lot of fun this afternoon. Thank you for letting me come to the beach,' She smiled at him when he ran his free hand over her hair and her eyes fell shut when he lowered his head to kiss her. He lingered for a moment-or-so before breaking their kiss and she snuggled into his side before relaxing. 'I think it might be time for both of us to lie down and get some sleep.' She whispered to him.

'I think you might be right,' He agreed. 'If this morning is anything to go off of, Adelaide's going to be waking soon.'

The two of them laughed together before shifting into a more comfortable position to fall asleep in beneath the covers. Since she was so far along in her pregnancy and her stomach had rounded out quite a lot, it was no longer comfortable for Anna to sleep with her head on her husband's chest and so both of them had decided to sleep with him at her back. There was something about having him curled around her with one arm around her middle and one under her head that made her feel so secure. 'I love you.' She heard him sigh as he kissed the back of her neck before snuggling up to her.

'I love you too.' She smiled while reaching out to kill the flame in the oil-lamp and plunging their room into darkness.

Once she had relaxed in his arms again, she let her eyes fall closed and covered his hand with her own on her stomach. Just as she began to drift off, she felt their child kick and her husband's chuckle told her that he had been able to feel it too. 'Goodnight, my loves…' He whispered into the darkness before brushing his thumb tenderly against her stomach.

'Goodnight, John.' She used his hand to pull his arm a little tighter around her before the two of them fell into silence.

For the next couple of minutes, both of them laid together in the dark until – at last – their closeness and the soft sound of one another's breathing lulled them into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. I apologise that there wasn't too much Adelaide in this chapter, but she'll have more of an appearance in the next one. I hope that you liked this chapter and I would be so grateful if, as usual if you have the time, you would leave a review to let me know what you thought of it. Thank you all so much for your continued support and I'll see you soon :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for coming back and I hope that you all like this chapter!**

* * *

The first thing that Anna was aware of when she woke was the feeling of her husband's hand moving back and forth across her bump. For a couple of minutes, she laid in silence with her eyes closed but when she felt their child push one of its little hands or feet against the wall of her womb in response to his touch she opened her eyes and smiled down at her stomach. It had been a month since their return to Downton after staying with her mother which meant that there was just a fortnight until she gave birth. Just the thought of holding the perfect child she'd carried around for nine months set her heart racing.

John had had to go back to work for a while after their trip – news that Adelaide hadn't taken well – but at last he had been granted paid leave which meant that he wasn't expected to resume his duties until two months after the birth of their child. She had loved waking up with his arms around her for the past week. More often than not, when he was working she woke up alone each morning because he hated waking her and so it felt so nice to be able to wake up with him curled around her. 'How much longer are you going to make me wait for my kiss?' She smiled to herself when he whispered quietly in her ear.

The smile that she saw on his lips when she rolled over in his arms made her heart melt and she couldn't resist slipping her arms around his neck. 'Good morning…' She grazed the tip of her nose against his while stroking his hair with her fingers.

'It _is_ a good morning,' He ran a hand along the curve of her side through her nightgown before bringing her as close as her swollen stomach would allow. He then slid his hand around to the small of her back before pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. The two of them exchanged several kisses, neither one of them too eager for their embrace to reach its end, before the urge to breathe came along and she pulled back from him. 'You didn't have the best night again, did you?' He sighed while moving his hand from her back to her face so that he could slip a blonde curl back behind her ear before stroking her cheek.

'It's just impossible to find a comfortable position to lie in at this point,' She told him. 'It's not for much longer though.'

'Doctor Clarkson is coming to see you this afternoon, so perhaps he can prescribe something to help you sleep.' He figured.

'I'll ask him and see what he says.' She replied before both of them shared a smile when their bedroom door started to open.

John sat himself up just as Adelaide poked her head around the door and he couldn't help but chuckle when she looked over at him. 'Come on then,' He patted the space between him and her mother on the bed before she stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. She then hurried over to him with her stuffed bear in hand and raised her arms so that he could help her onto the bed. 'Be careful around your mummy, darling.' He told her as she crawled into the space between him and her mother before smoothing a hand over her red curls when she slid beneath the covers and settled. Oh, how he loved her.

'Morning, mummy.' She said before pressing a kiss onto her lips.

'Morning, princess.' Anna ran the back of her hand down her freckled cheek.

Adelaide then turned to her father before stretching up to press a kiss onto his lips. 'Morning, daddy.'

'Good morning.' His heart swelled at the sparkle he saw in her eyes before she snuggled between him and Anna.

For quite some time after that, the three of them relaxed together in a comfortable silence before Adelaide laid down beside her mother and shuffled closer to her. 'Can you make the baby kick, please, mummy? I want to feel it!' She smiled up at her.

'Let's see if it wants to,' Anna nodded before placing a hand on her large stomach and smoothing the gentlest circles into it. Sure enough, after a couple of seconds she felt her baby kick its feet against the palm of her hand and she lifted her hand off her bump before taking Adelaide's and resting it in the same place. 'Can you feel that?' She covered her hand with her own.

'It's kicking! It's kicking!' Adelaide gasped as the happiness she felt was evident on her face.

Anna brushed several curls out of her daughter's face and back behind her ear before slipping both arms around her middle. 'You're going to be able to hold it in a couple of days,' She said. 'I don't think it wants to wait much longer to come out and meet us because it keeps fidgeting and won't keep still, no matter what I do.' She held her daughter closer when she smiled.

'Why can't the baby just come out now?' Adelaide asked.

'Because it's nice and warm in mummy's tummy at the moment,' John answered before his wife could, prompting their little girl to take her hand off of her mother's stomach and roll over so that she could look at him. 'Your little brother or sister is going to be just as exhausted as mummy when it's born, so it's getting as much rest as it can before it comes out to meet us all,' He watched her nod in understanding before she cuddled against his chest and he chuckled into her hair when he heard the growl of her stomach. 'I think it might be time for us to go downstairs and have some breakfast, sweetheart, don't you?'

Adelaide looked up into his eyes and nodded with a giggle. 'I'm hungry, daddy.'

'I think it's time for someone else's breakfast, too.' Anna stroked her daughter's arm before Adelaide gasped excitedly.

'Bella!' She turned her head in her mother's direction. 'Can I get her breakfast for her? Please?'

Anna nodded. 'Of course!'

In seconds, Adelaide had crawled out from between her parents and gotten off of the bed to rush over to the bedroom door. 'I have a feeling we're going to need a bigger bed when this little one arrives,' Anna teased as her husband helped her to sit up before she sighed when he kissed her on the cheek. The two of them then climbed out of bed before straightening it up a little and walking over to their little girl. 'Come on then, you,' Anna slid her hand into their daughter's. 'We shouldn't keep Bella waiting. We all know how she gets when she's hungry, don't we?' The giggle that Adelaide let out warmed her heart.

She and John then shared a smile before he opened the door for her and their daughter and the three of them began to head downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

John couldn't help but smile when he stopped reading the novel in his hands and looked over at his wife as the pair of them sat in a comfortable silence in the sitting room. She was curled up on the settee with Bella sleeping on her legs, a cup of tea cooling on the table beside her and a pair of knitting needles in her hands. He couldn't tell what she was making since she'd just started casting on, but he had a feeling that it was going to be another matinee jacket or hat for their little one. For the last couple of weeks, she had been quite obsessed with making them and he feared that there wouldn't be room for them all.

Still, it managed to take her mind off of the ache in her back and the discomfort she was in for a while and that pleased him. She looked so beautiful and at peace as she sat there in her own little world. Her hair was still in the simple braid that she'd put it into before bed the night before and errant strands had fallen into her face, there was a blanket draped over her small shoulders and she was tension-free since she had finished all of her little chores and Adelaide was taking a nap in her room. 'Staring again, Mr. Bates?' She tutted with a smirk without looking up from her knitting and he laughed softly in response.

'Can you blame me? When I have such a gorgeous wife?' He closed his book before placing it down on the arm of his chair.

Her gaze flitted to him for a moment and she blessed him with the little side-smile that she reserved for him before settling back into her cushion, glancing at Bella as she shuffled further down her legs and going back to whatever she was knitting. For some time after that, he sat in silence and watched her knit with ease and it was clear that she could feel him looking at her because she kept smiling to herself. 'What?' She laughed eventually while putting her knitting needles down in her lap.

'Come here.' He held his hand out to her.

'I'm kind of in the middle of something.' She teased while lifting her knitting needles again to prove her point.

He feigned hurt. 'You would rather knit than come and have a cuddle with your husband?'

She pretended to consider his words for a moment before looking into his eyes. 'Well…'

'Just come here.' He told her.

With a giggle, she put her knitting needles and the ball of white wool into the basket on the floor before sliding Bella off of her legs and onto the cushion next to her. She then trailed a hand along her back, revelling in the softness of her fur, before pushing herself to her feet and all but waddling over to her husband's chair. Once she had sat down in his lap, he laced both arms around her middle and let her rest her head on his shoulder as he traced the curve of her bump with his hand. 'I adore being pregnant, but if there's one thing I'm looking forward to about giving birth then it's losing this bump.' She admitted.

'I like it.' He replied while pressing his cheek against her forehead.

'Because it's not attached to you,' She pointed out. 'Believe me, if it made it nigh-on impossible for you to find a comfortable position to sleep in and if it weighed you down from dawn till dusk then you'd feel different. I'm not saying that I hate it – that's not true at all – but I just think I would find things a little easier if I wasn't so massive. If the size of me is anything to go off of, our baby is going to be massive,' She heard her husband chuckle and a tender smile spread across her lips when she tilted her head back on his shoulder to look into his eyes. 'I'm grumbling far too much about all of this and I apologize.'

He shook his head in response and took one hand off of her stomach before lifting it to her face in order to caress her cheek. 'Don't apologize,' He soothed. 'You're exhausted and uncomfortable, darling, so if anyone has the right to grumble then it's you,' He watched her lips curl into a smile before she rested a hand on his chest and placed the gentlest of kisses on his lips. 'Maybe you should take advantage of Adelaide letting us put her down for a nap and go and get a couple of hours yourself.'

'You know; I think I might. If you don't mind, that is.' She replied.

'Of course I don't mind,' He stroked her spine through her cardigan. 'You need to sleep as much as possible at the moment.'

She nodded before lowering her hand from his chest to her bump with a quiet sigh when she felt their child shift its weight. 'Come upstairs with me?' She asked as she cuddled against him. 'I want you to read poems to me. It helps me to fall asleep.'

'I should be able to manage that, I suppose,' He teased and ran a hand along her side which made her smile before she stood and walked over to the settee for Bella while he rose from his chair. The little kitten mewled as she lifted her into her arms, not too pleased to be woken from her slumber, but soon relaxed in her arms when she scratched her gently behind the ears. She felt John's hand on the small of her back when Bella settled and she smiled up at him before sighing when he kissed her on the cheek. 'Come on. Let's get you to bed.' He told her while sliding his arm around her waist and looking into her eyes.

She nodded in response before snugging Bella closer to her chest, leaning against him and allowing him to guide her out of the sitting room and up the stairs to bed.

* * *

'Look who decided to wake up at long last,' John whispered as he watched his little girl shuffle into the sitting room almost two hours later. She seemed to be half-asleep as she approached his chair with her stuffed dog in hand and his heart swelled when she stopped beside him and let her head fall onto his arm. Just one look into her eyes told him that she was still tired. 'Do you want to come and have a cuddle with me until you wake up a little, sweetness?' He asked after kissing her hairline.

She responded with a silent nod before taking her head off of his shoulder and shuffling around to the front of his armchair. He then took her waist in his hands and lifted her into his lap before she curled up and laid her head on his chest. Once he'd convinced himself that she was comfortable, he put his arms around her and settled his chin atop her head before smiling at the sound of her contented sigh. 'Daddy, please can I ask you a question?' She asked him after sitting in his arms for a time.

'You can ask me anything you like, Addie.' He promised her when she tilted her head back on his chest and looked at him.

She hesitated for a moment-or-so before taking a deep breath, curling her fingers into the front of his shirt and cuddling up to him. 'Can we still have Addie and daddy time when the baby is born?' She inquired. 'I have to share you, but I like Addie and daddy time and I don't want to share that with the baby. Can you have Addie and daddy time and then baby and daddy time? Please?' John felt his heart sink in his chest as he could tell that this wasn't something little. She was feeling worried.

The two of them had had Addie and daddy time ever since he and Anna had brought her home to the cottage seven months ago. During that time, the two of them would spend time together while Anna took a long soak in the bath or caught up on some sleep. It was a time for them to snuggle and talk, to do arts and crafts and just bond in general. Knowing that she felt as though he wouldn't have time for that once the baby was born broke his heart. He would never stop having time for her.

'Oh, princess,' He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her sad eyes. 'I'm going to be a little busier than usual when the baby's here, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop spending time with you. You are so, so important to me and shall I tell you why that is?' She nodded and his hands left her face so that he could hold her in his arms again. 'Because you're the one who made me a daddy. You were my baby first and – no matter what happens – I am never going to love you any less.'

The happiness that shone in her eyes lifted his spirits and he chuckled when she wrapped both of her arms around his neck. 'Please can I tell you a special secret, daddy?' She asked while playing with the hairs she came across at the base of his neck.

'Of course.' He nodded.

'You're my best friend in the whole wide world.' She whispered.

He couldn't help but chuckle before he pressed his lips to her forehead. 'And you, Adelaide Bates, are mine.'

The two of them shared a smile before she settled in his arms again. 'Where's mummy?'

'I sent her upstairs for a nap because she was feeling tired,' He said to her. 'I don't think she'll be too much longer, though.'

'Would you like to have some Addie and daddy time with me?' There was hope sparkling in her eyes as she looked at him.

He gasped. 'You come up with the best ideas, princess, I can't believe I didn't think of that!'

'I'm in charge of fun, daddy, that's what mummy says whenever we play together while you're at work.' She revealed.

He chuckled. 'So, what does the little angel in charge of fun suggest we do?'

She tapped her chin with her forefinger while thinking for a couple of seconds. 'Let's have a picnic with the dolls and bears!'

'We can have some custard creams with them,' He smiled at her. 'Mummy won't be pleased if we spoil our dinner, will she?'

She shook her head. 'Come on, daddy, let's go and find the biscuits and go and wake the dolls and bears up.'

He waited for her to leave his lap before he rose from his armchair and slipped his hand into her own, smoothing his thumb across her knuckles. 'Those dolls and bears need an alarm clock, darling, they're never awake when they're supposed to be.'

She tutted. 'I keep telling them.'

The two of them laughed together before she began to leave the sitting room and he followed behind her with a smile, more than ready to spend some quality time with the little girl that he was blessed enough to call his own.

* * *

Once Anna had pressed a kiss onto his lips after climbing into bed beside him once she had finished up in the bathroom late that night, she laid down and he encircled her in his arms as she laid her head on his shoulder. 'John, what's troubling you?'

'What makes you ask that?' He asked after turning his head in her direction and looking into her eyes.

She draped her arm over his stomach and sighed. 'You don't have to hide your feelings from me, my darling, I'm your wife.'

He smiled somewhat at knowing that she was right. He had always been able to talk to her about anything that was on his mind and she had never judged or laughed at him for it. 'It's just something that Addie brought up after her nap earlier this afternoon. She asked me if she and I would still have Addie and daddy time together once the baby's here. It wasn't a minor thing either. It was something that she was genuinely anxious about and the look in her eyes just…it just broke my heart.'

'Did you talk to her about it?' She ran her fingers along the front of his chest.

He nodded. 'I told her that I would never stop having time for her and that she's important to me because I became a father when we adopted her. I told her that she was our baby first and that even though we're having another, neither one of us is ever going to love her less than we do now.' He felt her nod against his shoulder before she left a delicate kiss on his cheek.

'So, what else is there to be worried about?' She asked.

He thought for a moment before realising he'd been worried about nothing. 'Nothing, I suppose.'

'Exactly,' She replied. 'There was a problem and you handled it, so you should just forget about it and start moving on.'

He tightened his hold of her and pulled her closer before turning his head and pressing a number of kisses onto her temple. 'What on earth would I do without you?' He asked once he had pulled back from her a little and lovingly caressed her back.

'I ask myself that same question every day.' She snuggled further into him before settling down in his embrace and sighing.

'Tired?' He ran his hand over her hair.

She hummed. 'I didn't manage to get much sleep when I came upstairs for that nap. Bella, on the other hand, did.'

'Get some sleep, darling.' He told her after chuckling and dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

She tilted her head back to look up at him. 'But I thought you wanted to come to bed a bit earlier so that we could cuddle.'

'We are cuddling,' He pointed out. 'I don't understand your argument.'

She rolled her eyes at him in a good-natured manner. 'Well, I won't be able to get so sleep like this.'

Understanding what she meant, he waited for her to roll over onto her other side before he turned over and kissed the back of her shoulder while sliding an arm around her waist. He then covered her further with their quilt before pulling her back into his chest and settling with her. 'Do you think you might be able to get some sleep like this?' He asked in a gentle voice.

'We'll have to find out,' She replied before turning down the lamp on her nightstand and kill the flame. 'Night-night, John.'

'Night-night, Anna,' He whispered into the darkness. 'I love you.'

'I love you too…' She sighed and closed her eyes as he stroked her stomach. 'So, so much.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter and I would be so grateful if you would leave me a review to let me know what you thought. I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Note: So, most of you will know that I never post two chapters at the same time but I was just far too excited to post this birth chapter. Plus, I wanted to post the last chapter last night and this one this morning, but I didn't finish the last chapter until the early hours and so I thought that I would just post both of them now. I hope that you all like this chapter and I hope you love the newest addition to the Bates family!**

* * *

'How is she?' Mrs. Hughes asked with concern in her eyes as John handed over a half-asleep Adelaide.

'She's petrified,' He told her. 'She's putting on a brave face, of course, but her waters breaking came as quite a surprise since both of us were told that she had another two weeks at least. I settled her and made her a cup of tea before walking up here with Addie, but things seem to be progressing quite fast and so I think I should start heading back. She shouldn't be alone.'

Mrs. Hughes nodded in agreement. 'Give her our love and tell her that we're thinking of her, would you?'

'Of course,' He replied before taking a step closer to her and running his gloved hand over Adelaide's curls as she looked up at him from where her head laid on the housekeeper's shoulder. 'I expect you to be on your best behaviour for Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson, sweetheart, all right? I need to go home and help your mummy, but I promise that I'll be back as soon as I can and then we can go home and you can meet your little brother or sister. Can I have a kiss before I leave?' He asked her.

Adelaide smiled and lifted her head off of Mrs. Hughes' shoulder before taking his face in her hands and pressing her lips to his. She then settled down again in the arms of the elder woman and laid her head in the crook of her neck before her father ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. 'I apologise again for getting you out of bed at such an hour, but it means a lot to Anna and I that you and Mr. Carson agreed to watch her for us.' He straightened his coat while looking at Mrs. Hughes.

'You can't time these things, Mr. Bates,' She reminded him. 'You get off home and we'll see you when we see you.'

He smiled before turning back to Adelaide. 'I love you.'

'I love you too, daddy.' She reassured him.

Once he had offered his little girl and Mrs. Hughes one more smile, he turned on his heel and began to walk in the opposite direction to the cottage. He felt his heart pound when he stepped onto the long lane that would lead him through the estate and home to Anna. In just a matter of hours he was going to be a father for the second time and he was going to be hearing his child's first cries. He was going to be watching doctor Clarkson lower his son or daughter into his wife's arms and their family of three would become a family of four. Just thinking about that beautiful moment made him want to run back home.

He didn't do that, of course, but in no time at all he made it back and walked down the stone path that led to his front door. Once he was on the doorstep he fished around in his coat pocket for the key before unlocking the door and walking into the house. He took the silence as a good sign. There were no screams or agonized groans from the bedroom above his head and that reassured him that not too much had changed since he had left. He took off both his hat and coat after closing the door before walking up the staircase. The sight of his wife made him sigh deeply when he stepped inside their dimmed bedroom.

She was sitting in the middle of their bed, where he had left her, with her eyes closed and one hand clutching at the quilt as she had another contraction. She was clutching it so tight that her knuckles had turned white. 'John…' He heard her groan under her breath and he walked right over to the bed before sitting down beside her and taking the hand that was grasping their quilt. She curled her fingers around his in an instant and her nails dug painfully into the back of his hand, but it didn't bother him. Her pain was far greater than his and if she had to endure hours of it then he could endure mere moments of it.

'Shh…' He used his free hand to move her hair out of her face when she opened and closed her mouth as she tried and failed to speak. 'Don't talk, darling, just breathe for now and get through this contraction,' He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb when she nodded in response before she began to take several deep breaths. She was doing so well. There wasn't a single word to describe just how proud of her he was. She was in terrible pain – pain so awful that she couldn't even talk – and yet she somehow made it seem as though it was the simplest thing in the world to get through. 'You're being so brave.'

It was seconds later when her vice-like grip on his hand relented and she sighed in relief as her contraction reached its end. 'That was awful,' She let her head fall onto his shoulder before he brushed kisses against her forehead and she laid her hand on her stomach. 'I remember reading that it can take between eight and twelve hours to give birth the first time. Mum told me once that she was in labour for sixteen hours with me, though, and fourteen with Alice. I've just started and I'm finding it difficult to get through these contractions. What if it takes me the same amount of time? I don't think I'd be able to do it.'

'If there's one thing I've learned about you,' He tucked a blonde curl back behind her ear when she looked into his eyes. 'It's that you're capable of doing anything you put your mind to. You are the strongest, most incredible woman I have ever met and I have every confidence that you're going to be able to get through this. I don't know how long this is going to take. It might take until tonight or it might take until lunchtime. One thing I'm sure of, though, is that I won't be moving until our child is in your arms.' He watched a warm smile grace her features before he pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her lips.

She lifted her hand to his chest as their kiss lingered and curled her fingers into the material when she brought their kiss to an end. 'I love you.' She whispered with her eyes closed when he placed a kiss on her forehead and ran a hand over her hair.

'I love you too,' He reassured her as he looked into her eyes before moving his gaze to her stomach and smoothing his hand over it. 'You can come out whenever you're ready, you know,' He spoke to their unborn child while she watched him with a loving smile. 'I think your mummy, big sister and I have waited quite long enough to hold you and give you kisses and find out what you look like,' The baby moved under his hand and it was then that he realised he was going to miss having those perfect moments. 'I think we should have another one at some point, my love, so we can have times like this all over again.'

She giggled. 'Can I at least get through giving birth to this little one before we talk about another?'

He smirked.

'It would be nice though,' She said after a time. 'Let's give it a year-or-so and then…maybe…we can think about one more.'

There was a smile on his lips as he shook his head and looked into her eyes. 'You mean the world to me, Anna Bates.'

'And you mean just as much to me,' She kissed him on the cheek. 'Did doctor Clarkson tell you what time he would arrive?'

'One of the night nurses answered,' He replied. 'He's out at another birth at the moment, but she said that she'll inform him about you when he returns to the hospital. I think you should use the waiting time to get some rest, darling. It might help.'

She nodded. 'Will you hold me, please?'

'Of course.' He reassured her.

The two of them laid themselves down then and he waited for her to turn onto her side before wrapping an arm around her waist and cradling her stomach in his hand. 'We're having a baby.' She breathed while staring over at the far bedroom wall.

'We _are_ having a baby…' He kissed her shoulder. 'And I'm so excited.'

She laid her hand over his on her bump. 'I can't wait to see Addie's reaction. Did she say anything before you left her?'

'She smiled when I told her that the baby was coming, but I don't think she realised that I meant it was coming as I put her coat on because she was so tired. I think she'll be far more excited when Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson remind her later on,' He heard her sigh with happiness at the thought of their little girl before he turned his head and kissed the side of her own. 'Close your eyes and get some sleep. You'll be grateful of it later on when doctor Clarkson's here, you can trust me on that.'

'I'll always trust you.' She told him as she closed her eyes and settled in his arms.

Once he was certain that she was content and beginning to drift into slumber, John settled behind her and moulded himself to her back before sighing and nuzzling his nose against the side of her neck. She wouldn't sleep for too long. Either doctor Clarkson would come knocking on the door or a contraction would wake her up, but for now she could forget about all that she would have to do later and relax. For the time being, she was comfortable and that made him happier than he could say.

* * *

'You're ten centimetres dilated now, Mrs. Bates, so I'm going to ask you to push through your contractions from this point on.' Doctor Clarkson said from where he was sat at the foot of the bed after examining Anna almost four hours later. It was clear to anyone with eyes that she was exhausted and tired of being in pain. She was all but slumped against the pillow that was behind her back, her long hair hanging over her shoulders as she held onto her husband's hand and her eyes were shut.

The previous contraction she'd had had been quite a difficult one. It had been the first one that had caused her to call out in pain. He could tell that the last thing she wanted to think about was pushing when she was so worn out and uncomfortable, but he had delivered enough babies to know that the sooner she started pushing the sooner she would have her child in her arms. 'It won't be much longer,' He smiled when her eyes flickered open. 'Another half-an-hour at most, I would think.'

She turned her head in her husband's direction and looked up at him before he used the back of his other hand to stroke her cheek. 'Can I have some water, please?' She asked before he turned in place and took her glass of water from his nightstand. He then held the glass to her lips and watched her take several long sips before she settled and he put the glass back on the nightstand. 'I don't want to push,' She said to him when he turned back to her and stroked her hand. 'I'm exhausted as it is.'

'I can tell, darling, but just like doctor Clarkson said – it's almost over,' He reminded her. 'The one thing you have left to do is a couple of pushes and then we'll have our baby. I don't pretend to know what labour feels like, but I know you're in pain and if there was something that I could do to take that from you then I would.' He watched her smile as she held back her tears.

'I know.' She whispered.

He leaned down to give her a number of kisses on the temple, not caring in the slightest that doctor Clarkson was sat right in front of them. 'I can tell that you're terrified, but I'm right here and I'll be holding your hand the whole time. I want you to squeeze my hand when you're pushing. I'm going to be fine. I don't want you to think about me or anything else but you and the baby until all of this is over, all right?' She nodded in response before sliding her thumb gently across his knuckles.

Moments later, she felt an all-too-familiar tightening in her abdomen and doctor Clarkson brought his hand to her swollen stomach. 'Here comes another one,' He announced as he could feel the contraction coming. 'When the urge to push arrives, I want you to hold your breath and press your chin into your chest. For the time being, so that we can get the baby moving down, I need you to push for as long as possible between each break.' He explained before smiling when she nodded at him.

The urge to push arrived in just a couple of seconds and so she did as she was told. She took a deep breath, pressed her chin into her chest and clutched her husband's hand as she pushed through the contraction. The effort of pushing helped to take her mind off of the pain for a while, but soon enough she just had to breathe and so she released the breath she was holding and gave up pushing. 'You're doing incredibly, Mrs. Bates, and I'm glad to report that Baby is travelling downwards nicely.'

She sighed with relief before she felt her husband's lips on the side of her head through her hair and her heart began racing. 'I told you that you could do this,' He murmured quietly. 'I can't remember the last time I felt this proud of you, you know.' She turned her head towards him and tightened her hold of his hand when their eyes met and he offered her a tender smile.

'I don't deserve you.' She shook her head.

'Nonsense,' He replied without missing a beat. 'You deserve to have everything you could ever want.'

She giggled. 'I do have that.'

'Good.' He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

She leaned back against her pillow and both of them fell into a comfortable silence then, but far sooner than she would have liked another contraction began to build up. 'This next push should bring the head right down,' Doctor Clarkson explained to her. 'Just do exactly what you did last time, Mrs. Bates, but try and push for a little longer if you feel as though you can.' She hummed and adjusted her hold of her husband's hand before taking a deep breath in the hope that it'd settle her nerves.

The urge to push again soon followed the contraction and she sank her nails into the back of her husband's hand, sucked in another deep breath and pushed while pressing her chin into her chest. She was somewhat aware of John's thumb caressing the back of her palm and she didn't believe that it was possible to love him more than she did then. Not all men would sit at their wife's side while she gave birth to their child. He wasn't like other men, though. He was different and she adored that.

She pushed for several long seconds until the pain of doing so and the need to breathe started to overpower her once again. Reluctantly, she stopped pushing and leaned back against her pillow with a whine of exhaustion before a smile appeared on doctor Clarkson's face. 'I can see the top of the head,' He said in a gentle voice. 'I think this baby is going to crown if you're able to do a little push. I only need you to push to get things moving and then I need you to breathe while the head comes.'

She breathed a sigh of relief.

'This might not be what you want to hear, but I feel as though I must warn you that crowning can be the most painful part of labour. The skin stretches so that the baby's head can pass through and that's when most women tear during childbirth.' The doctor explained while pulling the pile of clean towels closer so that they would be in reach once the baby had arrived.

'How long does the pain last?' She asked.

'Moments at the most,' He reassured her. 'Once the baby's crowned the burning stops and the hardest part of birth is over.'

From where he was sitting next to her, John could see the nervousness that was in his wife's eyes and pushed her hair back beneath her ear before she turned her head in his direction. 'As soon as this part is over, it's going to be minutes before you get to hold our baby. It might hurt, darling, but you've managed so well thus far and I don't doubt that you're going to get through this next part as easily as you got through everything else. You're going to be absolutely fine, I swear that to you.'

'I'm scared…' She admitted for the first time.

'That's fine,' He replied. 'It's normal to be scared of the unknown, but I think you're strong enough to do this.'

The corner of her lips curled up into a smile. 'You do?'

'Of course.' He said.

She looked down at her bump for a moment and felt her heart flutter as she realised that she was about to hold the little life that she had been carrying around for the past nine months. She would be able to tickle the little feet that had been kicking her for as long as she could recall and kiss the perfect hands that had pushed against her. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she was going to miss being pregnant, but she knew for a fact that she was going to love cuddling her baby even more.

'All right,' She looked at the doctor and then at her husband. 'I…I think I'm ready.'

There was nothing but pride in John's eyes and she felt a surge of warmth course through her veins when he nuzzled a kiss onto her brow. 'Let's meet our baby.' She heard him mumble softly before he pulled back from her and looked into her eyes.

As if on cue, her abdomen tightened again and she let her husband put an arm around her shoulders and rub her upper arm. 'I just need the smallest push, Mrs. Bates, and then all I want you to do is breathe while your body delivers the baby's head. You might feel the urge to push while the head is being born, but it's important that you suppress that urge because I don't want the baby's head to come too fast.' Doctor Clarkson said to her while her contraction continued to increase in intensity.

When the urge to push arose at last, she pushed a little before an intense burning sensation overtook her and her nails sank into her husband's hand as she stiffened and sucked in a breath. 'The head's coming,' The doctor announced. 'Just take deep breaths for me because it'll help you to control the pain.' She clung to her husband's hand and tried to think about anything but the pain she was experiencing while their child crowned. Finally, however, doctor Clarkson said: 'And the head is born!'

She whimpered in response as she fell limp in her husband's arms and tears blurred her vision when her eyes flickered open at last. 'The hardest part is over,' She snuggled up to John as he whispered into her ear. 'You did it, sweetheart. You did it.'

'I did, didn't I?' She breathed in slight disbelief.

'Goodness me, this little one has quite the head of hair,' Doctor Clarkson chuckled which made her smile up at her husband. 'You've done so well, Mrs. Bates, and now all that's left to do is wait for the neck and shoulders to be born which will occur with your last contraction. Once the baby has arrived, I'll give you a small injection of syntocinon to speed up the placenta.'

Anna offered him a smile before resting her head on her husband's shoulder and sighing into his neck as he started to comb his fingers through her hair. She was unsure of whether or not their embrace was appropriate since the doctor was present, but she was so exhausted and uncomfortable that she didn't care. All she wanted was for John to hold her close and she was going to have that. 'I'm so worn out,' She admitted to him when he moved his hand to her waist. 'I just want to go to sleep.'

'You can once everything's over, I promise,' He replied. 'I'll wait for an hour or two before going to fetch Addie so that you and I can have some time with the baby and then the two of you can get some rest. I doubt either of you will get much once she's home.' The two of them chuckled together before she tilted her head back on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes.

'I miss my little girl.' She sighed.

'I have a feeling she's missing you just as much,' He traced her jawline with his fingertips. 'But she'll be home soon enough.'

For the next couple of minutes after that, nothing much happened and Anna felt herself beginning to nod off in the arms of her husband. Just before slumber could pull her under, however, another contraction came along and a quiet groan escaped her as she lifted her head off of John's shoulder. 'You don't have to wait for this contraction to reach its peak before you can start pushing, Mrs. Bates, just start pushing whenever you feel you're ready.' Doctor Clarkson said when she looked at him.

She looked at her husband next and he took her hand in his once more before whispering: 'Ready?'

'As I'll ever be,' She slid her fingers through the gaps in his and he caressed her waist through her nightgown as she took a deep breath. Moments later, she held her breath and pressed her chin into her chest while holding John's hand in a vice-like grip. She felt as though she had been pushing for several minutes when she fell against her husband's chest, but she knew it hadn't been more than three minutes at the least and she felt as though she would be asked to push again. That was until…

'Congratulations, both of you!' Doctor Clarkson beamed at her and John.

The sound of her child's piercing first cries filled the silence of the room and it took all the willpower she had not to sit bolt upright in bed. She was just about able to see doctor Clarkson cleaning her baby up with a towel from where she was sat in her husband's arms. It didn't feel real. She could hear her baby's cries and she could remember the pain that she had been in just moments ago, but she couldn't quite believe that this was happening. She felt as though she was in some kind of dream.

The feeling of John running his hand along the length of her arm managed to snap her out of her thoughts after a time and she could have wept at the pride she saw in his eyes when she looked at him. 'You clever, clever girl…' His voice held tears as he spoke to her and she let out the gentlest giggle when a tear fell from the corner of his eye and danced down his cheek.

'You big softie…' She shook her head while reaching up to catch the tear on her finger.

He took her face in his hands seconds later and – even though it wasn't all that appropriate – she let him catch her in a kiss that was long and soft. The two of them parted from their kiss several seconds later and after settling in his hold again, she watched doctor Clarkson swaddle their newborn in a blanket. 'I think this little one is after a nice cuddle with her mummy.' He said while cradling the little girl in his arms and standing from the bed so that he could walk around to Anna and John.

'She's a girl?' Anna asked after her daughter had been eased into her arms.

'She is,' Doctor Clarkson confirmed while walking over to his bag. 'You both have a beautiful daughter.'

Even though she was beside herself with happiness and wanted to discuss names and everything, Anna decided to take just a couple of silent seconds to look at her little girl for the first time. She moved the blanket out of her daughter's face so that she could see her easier and felt her heart pound. She was her father's double. John had passed his dark hair, dark eyes, ears, nose and complexion on to their baby. The one thing that she'd gained from her was her thin top lip and the fuller bottom one.

'She looks just like you…' She said with tears in her eyes when she turned her head towards him and looked into his eyes.

'What a shame.' He teased.

'Shut up,' She scoffed before kissing him on the cheek and looking at their daughter again. 'She's as beautiful as I imagined.'

The two of them watched their little girl move within the confines of her blanket for a time before she settled and stared up at her mother. 'So,' John brought the hand that wasn't resting on his wife's side to their little girl's face and grazed her soft cheek with the back of his forefinger. 'You're the little rascal who kept moving around and keeping mummy up all night for the last couple of weeks, are you?' He heard Anna giggle as she cradled their daughter in her arms and looked down at her.

He might have jested about their little girl looking more like him than she did her mother, but he had to agree that she was one of the most perfect things he had ever seen. She was smaller than other babies, but he didn't feel too concerned about it since she'd been born a fortnight earlier than she should have been. 'Your big sister isn't at home at the moment – she's out at nanny Hughes' house – but she'll be home soon and she's going to be so thrilled to see you.' Anna said to their little girl.

'We had better get our cuddles in now,' John gave his wife a squeeze. 'We're not going to get a look in when Addie's home.'

The two of them laughed together before she looked up from their newborn when doctor Clarkson sat himself down on the end of the bed again. 'I'm going to administer the injection of syntocinon, Mrs. Bates, and then once the placenta is out and I've made sure that it's intact, I can leave the two of you to have some time alone with the baby.' He said before she nodded at him in response and went back to gazing down at the quiet little girl in her arms while he began to prepare the injection.

It took seconds for him to give her the injection in her thigh and, if she was honest, she didn't even notice it since her focus was on her daughter. 'She needs a name,' She realised after looking up at her husband again. 'It was a nice pet-name when I was pregnant with her, but I think you and I both know that we can't go on calling her "Baby Bates" much longer, darling.'

'You have a point,' He chuckled before falling quiet for a second while he thought. 'You liked the name Evelyn, didn't you?'

She nodded. 'It's beautiful and it means "wished-for child".'

'Well,' He gave her a loving squeeze. 'She's beautiful and a wished-for child, so I don't believe there's a better name for her.'

'Evelyn Bates…' She tested the name on her tongue and smiled when her daughter's eyes sparkled. 'It's absolutely perfect.'

* * *

It was quite late that afternoon when Anna was propped up in bed with Evelyn in her arms, her gaze fixed on her daughter as she held her near and hummed to her to help her sleep. She looked so beautiful. Once John had left the cottage to go and collect Adelaide from Mrs. Hughes and Mr Carson's cottage, she had dressed her in the little white dress that she had sewn for her and the cream cardigan that Mrs. Hughes had knitted for her. Even with those layers on, however, she had shivered a little and so she had wrapped her in her blanket again for added warmth. She had never seen such a calm newborn before.

She couldn't stop thinking about what it was going to be like when John returned home with Adelaide and the girls met for the first time. Just the thought of Adelaide climbing onto the bed, sitting next to her and wanting to look at her little sister brought a lump to her throat. She hoped that the two of them became best friends as well as sisters. She wanted them to be able to confide in one another if there was a problem and she wanted them to look out for each other. In a nutshell, she just wanted them to have the same kind of relationship that she and Alice had had before she had left home and entered service.

It was clear to her and John that Adelaide was going to be the protective older sister, though, so neither of them had to fret about that. From the moment her bump had been visible through her dresses, Adelaide had spent most of the time giving it kisses and if she hadn't been doing that then she had been sitting beside her and stroking it. She had adored her little sister from the beginning and she doubted that that would change as the two of them got older. The sound of Evelyn grizzling in her arms brought her out of her thoughts sometime later and she shushed her before lowering her head to kiss her hairline.

She was exhausted. She had napped for an hour earlier on like John had told her to, but it hadn't done much and all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. It was the thought of Adelaide coming home that managed to keep her from doing that. The last thing she wanted was to fall asleep and make her little girl wait longer to see her and give her a cuddle. She hadn't seen her since bedtime the night before and if she knew her daughter – and she did – then she knew that she'd be itching to see her. 'Your sister is quite the little whirlwind, Evie, but I promise you that you're going to love her.' She told her gently.

The next several minutes passed in silence as she watched her little girl fall asleep in her arms, but then she heard the front door open and close and smiled to herself as she settled back against the headboard. Even though she was a floor above the two of them, she could hear the excitement in Adelaide's voice while she spoke to her father at the bottom of their staircase. Her daughter fell quiet after a moment-or-two, however, and she knew that John would be reminding her to keep her voice soft when she came upstairs. She loved her husband for caring so much, but she didn't mind if Adelaide was quite excitable.

She was just excited to see her and meet her little sister and neither of them could begrudge her that.

It didn't take long for them to ascend the stairs and when the bedroom door opened she turned her head and beamed as her little girl entered the room. 'There she is…' She sighed before watching John lead Adelaide over to the bed. Her green eyes sparkled with happiness and the sight was enough to melt her heart. 'This little one has been so excited to cuddle with you, princess, but because she's so little all of that excitement ended up tiring her out!' Her little girl giggled gently in response.

'Can I come and sit with you, mummy? I want to see what she looks like.' Adelaide admitted.

'You don't have to ask!' Anna reminded her.

Adelaide then let go of her father's hand and climbed up onto the bed before sitting down beside her mother and snuggling into her side. Once she had made herself comfortable, Anna moved her arms in order for her to be able to have a look at her little sister. 'She looks just like a doll, mummy,' Adelaide breathed while reaching out to brush her fingers against Evelyn's dark hair. 'Like one of the dollies that sleep at the bottom of the bed in my room and wear the clothes that you made them.'

Anna and John laughed together. 'She does look like a doll, sweet-pea,' She admitted. 'But she's far more fragile than a doll.'

'What's…fragile?' Adelaide inquired.

John sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed a red ringlet out of his little girl's face before tucking it back beneath her ear. 'It means that something is precious and can be damaged or broken if you aren't careful with it. Mummy said that your sister is fragile because she's a baby, she's very small and she means a lot to us. She could get hurt if we aren't careful when we hold her and we don't want that, do we?' He watched his eldest daughter's eyes widen a little before she shook her head.

'Am I allowed to hold her, mummy?' She asked after turning her head in her mother's direction. 'I promise to be careful.'

'You can hold her if I can help,' Anna said to her. 'It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that she likes to move in her sleep.'

Adelaide nodded with a smile before her mother aided her in positioning her arms and settled Evelyn in the cradle of them. Once she was positive that Adelaide was holding her right and Evelyn wasn't at risk, Anna laced one arm around her waist and eased the other underneath her arms to help support her in holding her sister near. 'What's her name?' Adelaide asked.

'Evelyn,' Anna informed her before kissing the side of her head through her curls. 'Evelyn Rose Bates.'

Adelaide leaned against her mother before looking up at her and sharing a smile with her. 'That's a perfect name, mummy.'

'It is, isn't it, darling?' Anna agreed.

The two of them fell quiet for some time after that and Adelaide watched Evelyn sleep in her arms while her mother kept a watchful eye on them both. Eventually, however, Anna felt her husband's gaze burning into her and she looked at him for a moment before smiling at the expression on his face. 'What on earth did I do to deserve such beautiful girls?' He asked her.

'You came to Downton and stole my heart,' She replied before reaching for his hand. 'And I'm still so grateful that you did.'

'It's been a long road, sweetheart.' He kissed the back of her hand.

'It has, but we haven't reached the end of it yet,' She said before drawing their daughters closer to her. 'Not by a long shot.'

* * *

John frowned as he got into bed that night and watched his wife rub at her eyes with the back of her hands after lying their little girl down in her Moses basket. She blinked several times once she had stopped rubbing them and settled back against the headboard and when a relieved expression crossed her face it fuelled his concern. 'Anna, is there something the matter?'

She sighed and turned her head to look at him after moving her pillow down a little and snuggling down beneath the quilt. 'For the last hour or so, I've been having…blurred vision. One minute I'll be fine and then the next I can't see all that well.'

'When were you going to tell me?' His frown deepened.

'I don't have to come running to you each time I start feeling a little off, John, I'm not a child,' She snapped before lowering her gaze to the space between them on the bed. Moments later, she felt her irritableness subside and a sense of guilt started to replace it. He hadn't deserved that. He was just concerned about her – as a husband should be concerned about his wife – and he hadn't deserved to have his head bitten off. 'I'm sorry…' She slid her hand into his and looked up at him again. 'You didn't deserve that. It's just that I…I'm so exhausted and over the past couple of hours I've started to feel a little awkward.'

He reached out to run a hand over her loose hair. 'Awkward?'

'I've been having some strong headaches and I feel disoriented if I sit up for too long,' She revealed while lacing her fingers with his. 'I didn't tell you about it because I didn't see the point. It's just tiredness and I'm going to be fine in the morning.'

John nodded and brushed her hair back behind her ear, but in his heart he wasn't as convinced that this was mere tiredness. He hadn't noticed it before, but as he laid beside her he noticed that she looked rather pale and some of the colour had gone from her face. 'I think I should give doctor Clarkson a call in the morning, darling, just to be on the safe side.' He admitted.

'You're going to ask him to come here just so he can take one look at me and tell us what I've just told you?' She asked him.

'It would put my mind at rest to have an expert opinion, that's all.' He laid down beside her.

She huffed. 'Fine. I'm too tired to have an argument about this. If I'm no better in the morning – which I doubt – ring him.'

The air between them was tense for a time before he stroked her face and said a soft: 'I love you.'

She laid in silence as he stroked her face a couple of times before she turned her head and brushed her lips against his palm. Her hand sought out his then and she shuffled closer to him before he shifted onto his back and encircled her in his arms. 'I love you too…' She looked up at him from where her head rested on his shoulder and her eyes fell shut when he kissed her.

'Let's get some sleep,' He whispered once their kiss had broken before reaching to kill the flame in the oil lamp that was sat on his nightstand. 'I've said this a hundred times, I realise that but you did so well this morning and I feel so proud of you.'

She hummed and smiled into the darkness of their bedroom. 'I love making you proud of me.'

'That's all I ever am,' He ran his hand along her back through her nightgown. 'Close your eyes and try and get some sleep.'

'I am,' She reassured him. 'Goodnight, John.'

'Goodnight, Anna,' He closed his eyes and buried his nose in her hair. 'Pleasant dreams, sweetheart.'

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, welcome to the world, Evelyn Rose Bates! Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and I hope that it was all right - I've never been the best at writing birth scenes! I also hope it was all right because it's been such a long time coming and I know a lot of you were excited to meet the baby. Please review if you have the time and I'll see you all soon x**


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for coming back to read this chapter!**

* * *

John opened his eyes when he reached out to wind an arm around his wife and all his hand came into contact with was their mattress. The bedroom was still shrouded in darkness, save for some light creeping in through the crack in the door, which told him that it had been mere hours since he and Anna had gone to sleep. For a moment, he wondered if she had just taken Evelyn downstairs to nurse her so that she didn't have to turn on the lamp and disturb him. After moving to her side of the bed and peering into their little girl's Moses basket, however, he found that that wasn't the case. She was still sound asleep.

He smiled a little at the sight of her and reached in to graze her cheek with the back of his finger before she snuffled gently. Once he had drawn his hand back, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and pulled back the quilt before climbing out of bed. He then took his cane from where it was leaning against his nightstand and left the dark room, making sure to leave the door open a crack before walking down the landing to Adelaide's room. Sometimes, if she woke in the night, Anna went to check on their daughter. Once again, however, after stepping into Adelaide's room he found that his wife wasn't in there.

Noticing that his little girl had dropped her bear and managed to kick her covers off in her sleep, he walked over to the bed before bending down to pick up the bear and lie it next to her. He then laid the quilt over her and ran a hand over her curls once she had snuggled beneath them and pulled her bear close. 'Sweet dreams, beautiful…' He whispered before turning on his heel and leaving the bedroom. The next room he decided to check was the bathroom and, sure enough, when he entered he found his wife sitting on the edge of the bathtub as she looked at the wall and held her dressing gown closed around herself.

He felt his heart sink like a rock in his chest.

She looked terrible.

She was much paler than she had been before the two of them had gone to sleep, her eyes were somewhat glazed, there was sweat beading on her forehead and he could see her shaking. The sound of him closing the door to the bathroom must have brought her out of her thoughts because she turned her head in his direction and stared at him when he started to approach her. 'There's something wrong with me…' Her voice, though no higher than a whisper, trembled as she spoke. 'I've thrown up about three times, I've got a pounding headache and I…I can't seem to warm up no matter what I do. I'm so cold, John.'

He pressed his lips to the crown of her head and felt her snuggle against his chest with a gentle sigh when he lingered for a moment. Once he had returned to his full height and met her gaze again, he lifted his hand and touched the back of it to her forehead to check her temperature. As he had expected, she was burning up. 'Sweetheart, please let me call the hospital and ask for doctor Clarkson. I'm worried about you and I think I would feel a lot calmer if he came here and took a look at you.'

'I…I doubt he would be there at this time of the morning,' She shivered. 'He would have gone h…home hours ago.'

He ran the back of his hand down her cheek and sighed when she let her eyes drift closed. 'I'm still going to call and check.'

'I don't understand what's happened,' She admitted as she looked up at him again. 'I felt fine until last night.'

'I wish I could tell you what's going on, darling, but I can't…' He said. 'Doctor Clarkson will be able to, though, I'm sure of it and then we can start focussing on doing whatever's needed to make you better.' The weakest smile appeared on her lips. 'I think you'd be better off in bed while I go downstairs and telephone the hospital. You'll be warmer and more comfortable there.' He watched her nod in response before she reached for his hand and he aided her in rising from the edge of the bath.

Once she was on her feet, he laced an arm around her waist for added support and let her lean against him before he led her out of the bathroom and down the landing to their room. In just a couple of minutes, he had her tucked up in bed again and after covering her with the quilt he struck a match and lit the oil lamp on her nightstand. He then replaced the cover before walking around their daughter's Moses basket, sitting down on the edge of their bed and taking her face in his large hands.

'You're going to be fine.' He soothed as he could tell that she was worried.

She wasn't so sure. 'What if doctor Clarkson isn't there?'

'Then I'll tell whoever answers to call him and tell him that it's urgent,' He reassured her. 'We're going to get you seen to.'

She nodded. 'I apologise for being so irritable earlier. You were just worried about me and I shouldn't have acted like that.'

'Come here…' He brushed his thumbs across her cheeks while leaning in to capture her lips with his in a long and soft kiss. The two of them allowed their kiss to linger and revelled in their closeness for several seconds before he began to pull back from her. He sucked on her bottom lip before releasing it and opening his eyes, and even though she was sick he just had to smile as her eyes remained closed for a moment. 'Even when you're ill you're beautiful.' He brushed her hair out of her face.

'Charmer,' She managed to laugh before covering herself further with their quilt. 'I do love you so much, John.'

'I know. I love you too,' He reassured her. 'Now, I'll go down and call the hospital. Try and rest, my darling.'

He leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead before taking his hands off of her face, standing from the bed and exiting the room. Even though he'd reassured her that she was going to be fine, there was a knot in the pit of his stomach as he walked down the stairs. The two of them had been married for almost seven years and never, in all that time, had he seen her so ill. He could sense that this wasn't something small. Something that he and Anna could ignore and would get better over time.

This was something serious – something that needed to be diagnosed and cured sooner rather than later – and if the doctor wasn't at the hospital he would go to his cottage and pound on the door until he answered it. Then he would tell him about Anna and make him come to the cottage so that he could take a look at her. He just wouldn't be able to wait until first light.

He and his wife needed answers.

And they needed them now.

* * *

Less than ten minutes after he had left the hospital, doctor Clarkson was all but running down the lane on which the Bates' cottage stood. He hadn't even made it to the cottage yet, but he was certain that he knew what was wrong with Mrs. Bates. The splitting headaches, the vomiting and the fever were all indicators of postpartum preeclampsia and if it _was_ preeclampsia that she was suffering from, then instant action was required if the violent fits that accompanied the condition were to be prevented.

Once he'd reached the Bates' cottage, he knocked on the front door and waited for a moment-or-so before Mr. Bates opened it. The two of them shared a slight smile before Mr. Bates moved aside and allowed him to enter the warmth of the cottage. 'I'm grateful to you for coming out at such an hour and for getting here so quickly,' Mr. Bates said. 'I…I think she could be getting worse. She seems quite…confused…and keeps panicking because she thinks she needs to go and see to Lady Mary.'

Confusion.

Yet another sign of postpartum preeclampsia.

Another symptom that made doctor Clarkson feel sick to his stomach.

'Mr. Bates…' He took a moment to clear his throat. 'I don't wish to alarm you, but do you think you might remain down here while I go and examine Mrs. Bates? I'm almost certain that I know what this is and, if I'm correct, I'm going to have to ask you to telephone for an ambulance.' He watched as all of the colour drained from the man's face while he stood with him.

'What…what do you think is wrong with her?' Mr. Bates asked.

He sighed and took off his hat. 'I firmly believe that she's suffering from a condition called postpartum preeclampsia or toxaemia. It's a rare condition that some mothers can suffer from before or after birth. The symptoms are minor, to begin with, but begin to increase in severity over time and…and I'm afraid the condition can, on occasion, be fatal if not treated as soon as possible.'

John felt the knot in the pit of his stomach tighten as what doctor Clarkson had just told him began to register in his mind. His wife, if the doctor's diagnosis was correct, had a fatal illness. He could lose her to the condition and be left to raise their beautiful girls alone. Evelyn wouldn't even remember her! He had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat at the thought.

There was nothing but kindness and understanding living in the doctor's eyes when he lifted his tear-filled gaze back to his sometime later. 'If she does have pre-eclampsia and you have her taken to hospital, do you swear that you can save her?' He was aware that there was somewhat of a warning tone to his voice, but in that moment he found that he didn't care one bit.

'I cannot swear it,' Doctor Clarkson admitted. 'But the sooner we get her there, the higher a chance she has of survival.'

John gave him a silent nod in response. 'Please, do whatever is required.'

Once doctor Clarkson had given him a small smile in response, he stepped past him and ascended the staircase with his bag in hand. He then knocked on the bedroom door before opening it, stepping into the dimmed room and feeling his heart sink at the sight of Mrs. Bates. She was sweating profusely while propped up in bed, but the fact that she was wearing one of her husband's sweaters proved to him that she felt the opposite of hot. It was clear that her fever was higher than he'd thought.

'Mrs. Bates, I'd just like to do a couple of quick checks. Is that all right?' He asked after walking over to the bed.

All she could manage was a weak nod as she looked up at him.

Once he had set his bag down on the bed, he rummaged around within it for a time before pulling out his stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff. 'I'm going to check your blood pressure first,' He explained before pushing the sleeve of the sweater up her arm and putting the cuff around her arm. He then laid the diaphragm of the stethoscope on the inside of her elbow, put the ear-tips in his ears and began to carefully squeeze the rubber bulb on the blood pressure cuff in order to inflate the cuff.

He received a reading just moments later.

190/40.

Her blood pressure, as he had expected, was dangerously high.

'I'm afraid you have extremely high blood pressure, Mrs. Bates, which might explain the dizziness you experience when you sit up or walk around,' He informed her after removing the cuff from around her arm and moving to return the cuff and his stethoscope to his bag. The sound of rustling reached his ears after a moment-or-so and when he glanced at Mrs. Bates, he caught her rubbing at her eyes with the heels of her palms. 'Mrs. Bates, are you quite all right?' He raised a brow at her.

'Everything keeps going blurred,' She shook her head while blinking in an attempt to clear her vision. 'It's difficult to see.'

That was when his gut told him what he had known all along and he snapped his bag closed.

He was wasting precious time carrying out these checks when he knew for a fact that she was suffering from the condition. She needed to be in hospital. She needed to be started on the medication that would prevent the seizures that he knew were imminent if he didn't act soon. He couldn't be held responsible for two little girls losing their mother. He'd already seen the devastating effects that the condition had had on Lord Grantham and his family and if he ever saw it again, it'd be too soon.

'Mrs. Bates, I…I have a diagnosis,' He perched himself on the edge of the bed and clasped his hands in his lap while looking at her. 'I'm afraid you're suffering from postpartum preeclampsia and it's at quite a severe stage, which means I'm going to have to go downstairs and ask your husband to telephone for an ambulance so that we can have you moved to the hospital.' Anna's eyes widened and the fear and slight disbelief that he saw living in them caused him to feel a sharp pain in his chest.

'That's what Lady Sybil died of,' She managed to stammer. 'Are you saying that I…I could die?'

The last thing that he wanted was for her to start panicking, but he knew that he couldn't lie to her or sugar-coat anything. 'There's a chance that you could succumb to the condition, yes, but you have my word that I'm going to do all that I can to prevent that from happening. First, the ambulance is going to take you to the hospital and then I'll get you started on some strong medication.' He watched her nod in response before she leaned back against the headboard and he rose from the bed.

'What about the girls?' She gasped a moment later.

'I think someone should come here to take care of Adelaide, but Evelyn should be brought to the hospital so that she can be near you. It's important that she spends a lot of time with you so that she can bond with you, and just lying next to you can help her to do that,' Doctor Clarkson said to her before taking his bag off of the bed and walking over to the bedroom door. 'I'll go and tell Mr. Bates to call for the ambulance and then he can come back upstairs with your coat and help you into it.'

She offered him a soft, tearful smile. 'Thank you, doctor Clarkson.'

He left the bedroom after giving her a nod and, once she was on her own, she shifted closer to her little girl's Moses basket and peered in at her. She was still sound asleep and the thought of disturbing her didn't sit well with her, but she needed to hold her. She needed to feel her in her arms and pepper kisses over her face. In silence, she removed Evelyn from the basket and cradled her in her arms before leaning back against the headboard and sighing as she looked at her. She was so perfect.

She had prayed for her for longer than she could remember and now she might not even be around to help her through life. If she did… _die_ …she would never see her first weak smile. She would never hear her laugh when Adelaide did something to prompt it and she would never hear her say her first word. If she died, she wouldn't be around to see her girls turn into the strong, compassionate, beautiful young women she knew they would. She would be leaving both of them without a mother.

The thought of missing out on their lives made tears spring to her eyes and she didn't even try to keep them from scrolling down her cheeks. She knew that John would take wonderful care of their daughters if the worst happened, but that was just another thing that broke her heart. She would be leaving him as well as them. He would go to sleep alone each evening and he would be the one who would have to tell Evelyn about what happened to her when she was old enough to understand it.

She loved him so much.

She had had a boyfriend or two in her youth whom she had thought she had loved with all her heart, but when she thought back to them she realised that she hadn't loved them at all. Not like she loved John. She hadn't truly known the meaning of love until he had entered her life and the thought of leaving him so broken crushed her. 'I'm going to get better, sweet-pea, I promise…' She reassured herself as well as her slumbering little girl. 'I'll never leave you, Addie and daddy on your own.'

Her tears fell faster when Evelyn snuggled further into her in her sleep and, once she'd settled down again with the faintest huff, she lowered her head and feathered a kiss against her forehead before leaning against her pillow and beginning to sob.

* * *

Once John had laid his little girl down in the cot at the foot of his wife's hospital bed, he limped back to the chair at the side of the bed and sighed as he sat down. For the next couple of seconds, he just looked at Anna while she slept in front of him. Even though he could see that she was breathing fine and her condition didn't seem to have worsened, he still couldn't stop brooding. She had had something along the lines of a panic attack sometime after arriving at the hospital, and so the doctor had given her a sedative to calm her down and help her to get some sleep once she had managed to compose herself a little.

It had been hours since the sedative had been administered and she was displaying no signs of coming round anytime soon. She sighed in her sleep a short time later and when she shifted into a more comfortable position, he took his hand out of his lap and smoothed it over her hair. 'Don't you dare leave me,' He whispered while shuffling forward to the edge of his chair so that he was closer to her. 'I was a mess before I moved here and met you, and I can't go back to being that man again. If you were awake, you'd probably tell me that I wouldn't because I'd have our girls. That isn't the point though, my darling.'

He felt tears start to burn in the back of his eyes and stared up at the ceiling to keep them from streaming down his cheeks.

After a couple of seconds, he calmed himself down and looked at her again before using his fingers to ease a blonde curl out of her face. 'I can't imagine raising our girls alone and I don't want to. Ever since I found out that you were expecting Evie, all I could think about was how much I was going to love watching you spend time with her and Addie. Adelaide loves you more than anything else in the world, Anna, and I don't doubt for one minute that Evelyn will, too. You need to be here for that to happen though, sweetheart, so the girls and I need you to continue getting better and we need you to come home to us.'

He traced the outline of her face with the tips of his fingers before leaning in to brush his lips against her temple in a gentle kiss. Just as he started to pull back, he heard a grizzle from the cot at the foot of the bed and smiled as he turned his head in the direction of the sound. He remained where he was for a little while, waiting to see if Evelyn would quieten and drift off, but when she began to wail, he got up from the chair and walked around to the side of the cot before shushing her lovingly. 'Are you not tired, princess?' He crooned at her while leaning down to lift her out of the cot and into the cradle of his arms.

Once he had a secure hold of her and he was certain that she was comfortable in his arms, he carried her around to his chair and sat down again. He gazed down at her after settling back into the chair and felt his heart swell in his chest. He was still finding it hard to believe that she was here. For longer than he could remember, he had longed to hold her and drink in her delicate features and now he was able to do that. 'I'll never understand how something as beautiful as you came from me…' He sighed before moving an arm out from underneath her so that he could stroke her dark wisps of hair with his fingertips.

It seemed as though having her hair stroked was one of the things that calmed her because her eyes slid closed after a time and she settled in his arms. For a moment, after she had fallen asleep in his arms, he considered returning her to her Moses basket. Then, however, he looked at his wife and had a better idea. He rose from the chair with Evelyn in his arms, moved a little closer to the bed and laid her right next to her mother. He then took one of Anna's arms and draped it over their little girl, positioning her hand so that it was resting on Evelyn's back. That was when she stirred and tightened her hold of her.

He watched her eyes flit open ever-so-slightly before she smiled at the sight of their baby girl beside her and brushed a kiss against her forehead. 'Hello, little one…' Her voice was soft and a little hoarse while she spoke to their daughter, the pad of her thumb tracing circles into her back through the blanket that she was swaddled in. It was a couple of seconds later when she sensed his presence and he ran the back of his hand down her cheek when she lifted her gaze to him. 'You're here…' He could hear the relief in her voice as she spoke to him and he frowned a little as he sat back down in the chair at her side.

'Of course, I'm here,' He replied. 'Where else would I be?'

She shrugged. 'I feel like I've been asleep for hours. I thought you might have gone home to get some rest yourself.'

'Sweetheart, I wouldn't have left your side regardless of how long it took for you to wake up.' He told her.

She gave him a tired smile before bringing Evelyn closer. 'I want Addie to come and see me.'

'I think it might be a little too soon, darling, you've just opened your eyes.' He reminded her.

'John, I…' She paused for a second. 'I could start deteriorating again and...and if that's the case, then I want to have spent some time with Addie.'

He looked at her. 'You're not going to die.'

'You don't know that!' Her voice broke. 'I'm not too bad at the moment, but neither of us can foresee the future.'

He dropped her gaze for a moment. 'I don't want to talk about this.'

'Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it vanish, darling…' She whispered before sighing when he glanced at her again.

'I'm not ignoring the problem, Anna, but…' He reached out to rest a trembling hand on her cheek and stroke the pad of his thumb against her skin. 'But I don't want to think about the negatives. Can we cross that bridge when and if we come to it?'

She thought about his words. 'I suppose you're right. Mum always said to look at the glass half-full instead of half-empty.'

'More words of wisdom.' He chuckled.

She giggled before looking into his eyes. 'I _would_ still like Addie to come and see me though.'

'I'll ask doctor Clarkson if she can come and visit you for an hour tonight,' He relented. 'Only if you get some rest, mind.'

His words made her smile for a moment before she sighed. 'I'm so scared.'

'I know you are, but you're having the medication and you're in the safest place possible.' He reminded her.

She hummed in response, but he could tell that his words weren't too much of a comfort for her.

'Listen to me,' He left the chair and moved to sit on the edge of the bed before she turned her head a little to look up at him. 'I understand that you're frightened, darling, and I don't blame you for that because this is an illness that no woman should ever have to suffer from. You're going to get through this, though, I swear. Your temperature has come down over the last couple of hours and when doctor Clarkson came and checked your blood pressure while you were asleep, he said that it was stabilising. You're on the road to recovery already, Anna, and I can just tell that things are going to start looking up soon.'

The smile that she gave him made his heart flutter and he couldn't resist leaning down to press a delicate kiss onto her lips. Their kiss lingered for a second before he pulled back from her and when her eyes fluttered open again, he stroked her face. 'What on earth would I do without you?' She asked with tears in her eyes before he smiled and ran his hand along her side.

'You never have to be worried about that, sweetheart,' He reassured her. 'Never…'

* * *

Even though she had been impatient to come to the hospital and give her mother the flowers that she'd bought for her that afternoon, John was able to tell that his little girl was feeling rather anxious as he held her hand and stood with her outside Anna's room that evening. 'Addie…' He kept his voice soft before giving her back a stroke when she laced both of her arms around his good leg and looked up at him with an uncertain expression on her face. 'You have nothing to be anxious about.'

'Mummy's poorly, daddy,' Her bottom lip trembled. 'She needs to come home so we can look after her.'

He sighed in response and moved his hand from her back to her hair so that he could smooth his hand over her soft curls in a soothing fashion. 'No, darling, she needs to be here in hospital because she needs special medicine. The doctor and nurses need to be the ones taking care of her at the moment, but we can take care of her ourselves when she's well enough to come home,' His little girl nodded at him and attempted to force a smile, but she couldn't keep her tears from him. 'Come here…'

She laced her arms around his neck, being mindful of the flowers, and let him lift her onto his hip when he took her waist in his hands. Once she had made herself comfortable, she buried her face in his neck for a time and sighed before he gave her a kiss on the forehead and she pulled back to meet his gaze. 'Would you like to go and surprise your mummy with the daisies you bought for her? I think she'll love them, Addie, and it might cheer you up a bit.' He suggested before she smiled at him.

'Can I give her a kiss, too, and tell her that I love her?' She asked.

He chuckled. 'Of course you can, princess!'

The happiness she felt was clear in her eyes and once he had set her down on the floor again, he opened the door to Anna's room and let her enter ahead of him. After he had stepped inside the room, he closed the door behind them and smiled as he saw that his wife was snoozing while propped up with pillows. 'You can go and get into bed with her if you like,' He said to his little girl when she glanced up at him again. 'Just take your shoes off before you get into bed and give her a nice cuddle.'

Rather than respond to him, she simply slipped her feet out of her shoes and walked over to the bed before pulling back the blanket and climbing onto the mattress next to her mother. She then shuffled closer to her beneath the blanket and slid one of her arms over her middle before resting her head on her chest. For the next couple of minutes, she sat beside her mother in silence before she felt her stir and tilted her head back against her chest when she felt her nuzzle a soft kiss into her hair.

'Mummy, you're awake!' She beamed as she looked into her eyes.

'I _am_ awake, sweetness…' Anna replied, her voice still heavy with sleep. 'And I couldn't think of a lovelier way to wake up.'

The two of them shared a smile before she eased an arm around her little girl's waist and pressed her forehead against hers. 'I don't like it when you're poorly,' Adelaide whispered as she snuggled further into her embrace. 'I want you to feel better.'

Anna forbade herself to appear worried in front of her daughter. 'I'll be better soon, I promise.'

'Will these make you feel better?' Adelaide held up the bouquet of daisies in her hand. 'Mrs. Tripp let me get them for you!'

Anna felt her heart flutter as she took the flowers. 'Oh, Addie, they're the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen! Thank you!'

Once she had set the daisies down on the little table beside the bed, she turned back to her daughter and pressed a kiss onto her hairline. 'You wouldn't want to have a cuddle with Evie while you're here, darling, would you?' She offered her a smile.

'I would, mummy, I would!' Adelaide gasped. _'Please,_ can I have a cuddle with Evie?'

'Ask your daddy.' She gestured with her head to her husband who had moved to sit in the chair beside the bed.

Adelaide turned her head in her father's direction before giggling when he raised a brow at her and waited for her question. 'Daddy, please can I have a cuddle with Evie? I haven't had a cuddle off of her today and I'll be careful with her, I promise.'

John reached out to graze her cheek with the backs of his fingers. 'I know you will, Addie, you're such a brilliant big sister.'

He then rose from the chair and walked over to the cot in which Evelyn was dozing before bending down to lift her into his arms. She grizzled at the movement before he cradled her close and hushed her for a moment, and once he had succeeded in soothing her, he carried her back over to the bed. 'Do you remember how to hold your arms?' He asked Adelaide before she showed him how her mother had taught her to position her arms. 'You, Adelaide Bates, are an absolute natural.' He smiled.

Once he had lowered Evelyn into the cradle of Adelaide's arms and she'd brought her close to her chest like her mother had taught her, he leaned over the two of them and pressed a kiss onto Anna's lips before kissing the top of Adelaide's head and sitting down again. For quite some time after that, the room was silent as the three of them made the most of the time they had together before he had to take Adelaide home. She was going to have a meltdown when it was time to go, he could tell.

He couldn't blame her though.

It was the first time she had ever been kept from the two of them all night long and it was a massive step for her.

The time for thinking about that, however, was when half-past six came around and it was time for her to leave her mother. Until then, he would sit with the three girls who made his life worth living and make the most of every moment with them.

Something that he intended to do with pleasure for the rest of his days.

* * *

The feeling of her husband running his hand over her hair made Anna sigh and curl further into him as she laid in his arms later that night. Doctor Clarkson had come in and woken her up to give her another round of injections some time ago, and now she was finding it nigh-on impossible to fall back to sleep. She had been a tad frustrated with him for disturbing her in the beginning, but then he had told her that he was pleased with her progress and she had felt nothing but thankful to him. He had followed through on his promise to her. He had done everything he could in order to cure her of her pre-eclampsia.

She wasn't going to die.

She was going to be around to see her girls grow up.

She was going to be able to make more memories with her husband.

Most importantly, she wasn't going to be leaving her little family.

She tilted her head back on her husband's chest after cuddling him in silence for several long minutes and, after curling her fingers into his shirt, she stretched up and brushed his lips with hers. She let the kiss linger for a time and smiled when she felt him cradle the back of her head in his hand. Soon enough, the urge to breathe reared its head and she brought their kiss to an end after sucking on his bottom lip. 'Goodness me…' He caressed her waist through the blanket. 'What was that for?'

'Complaining?' She smirked.

'Never…' He pecked at her lips.

She draped her arm over his stomach and settled down in his embrace before closing her eyes when he tucked a blonde curl back behind her ear. 'I just couldn't ask for a more perfect husband,' She admitted. 'You sensed that something wasn't right with me from the start. I've never said this before, but I'm so glad that you didn't listen to me,' The two of them laughed as she moved her head from his chest to his shoulder. 'If you hadn't had called doctor Clarkson this morning, I…I wouldn't…'

He must have heard the tearfulness in her voice because he shushed her and placed a kiss on her temple before stroking her hair. 'No more thinking about what could have been,' He brought her closer. 'I understand that we're not completely out of the woods at the moment, but the main thing is that you're not going to be taken from me and the girls. You're going to be tutting at me and Addie for forgetting to put our shoes on the rack for years to come, trust me.' Her laugh made him smile.

'Something tells me that neither of you are ever going to remember to do that,' She replied before kissing him on the cheek and making herself more comfortable in his arms as a sudden feeling of tiredness came over her. 'But I don't mind it much.'

He chuckled and laid his hand on the small of her back to hold her in place against him. 'Sleep, darling.'

'You don't mind?' She asked.

He shook his head. 'The more sleep you get, the faster you'll recover and the sooner you'll be out of here and back at home.'

She hummed in agreement. 'You won't leave me, will you?'

'I'll never leave you.' He reassured her.

The two of them shared a smile before he kissed her lips and she moved her head back to his chest while he reached to turn off the lamp on the table next to the bed. 'I love you…' He heard her whisper into the darkness of the room sometime later.

'I love you too,' He rested his chin atop her head. 'My beautiful, incredible wife.'

The next couple of minutes passed in silence, but her snores soon started to fill the air and it pleased John to know that she had managed to find peace after the chaotic day she had had. For the first time since arriving at the hospital, nurses weren't coming in and out of the room and she wasn't being monitored or given injection after injection. She had finally been left to get the rest that she deserved and he was going to see to it that she wasn't bothered again for the remainder of the evening.

Like doctor Clarkson had said, she wasn't out of the woods at the moment and it was going to take time for her strength to return, but he wasn't focusing on that. All that he was focusing on was the fact that her condition had stabilised. She wasn't at risk of seizures anymore and her headaches and nausea had worn off almost completely. She was on the mend and he had a feeling that – knowing her – it wouldn't be too long until she regained her strength and was sent home from the hospital.

She meant the world to him.

He had the strongest wife in all the world and he was positive that he would never tire of reminding her of such.

Never.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter and I apologise for it being so long! I'm not sure what I think of this one - I've never written a chapter like this before or covered a subject like this, but I hope that it was all right. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and I'll see you all next time! :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for being so patient with me, and I really hope that you like this chapter! It's definitely a happier one than the last! x**

* * *

Even though she was exhausted and her back ached after spending another night in hospital, a tender smile still crossed Anna's lips when the door to her room opened and John entered with their little girl. The happiness that she saw in Adelaide's eyes only deepened her love for her, and she wasted no time in pulling back the blanket and letting her climb into bed beside her when she ran over to her. 'Good morning, lovely,' She slid an arm around her and brought her close with a kiss to her cheek before meeting her gaze. 'How was your night with nanny Hughes?'

'Good!' Adelaide replied while snuggling into her. 'Granddad Carson played dollies with me until nanny got home from work, and then we had dinner and I had chocolate chip cookies for pudding! I didn't want to have a bath, but nanny told me that granddad would tuck me in and read me some bedtime stories if I was a good girl. Granddad told me three stories and gave me kisses and cuddles before I went to sleep, mummy!'

'Really? Three bedtime stories?' Anna gasped and stroked her little girl's waist when she nodded. 'You must have been a very good girl, then!'

'Why don't you tell mummy about what you did for nanny Hughes this morning, darling?' John suggested while sitting on the edge of the bed.

Adelaide looked over at him for a second before realising what he meant and smiling up at her mother. 'I helped her to wash all of the dishes!'

'You did?' Anna beamed. 'You're such a big girl, Addie, and I'm so proud of you.'

Adelaide giggled and shuffled closer to her mother before sighing. 'Can you come home now, mummy? You've been here for a very long time.'

Anna felt her heart sink in her chest and ran a hand over her little girl's curls as she knew how much of an impact their separation was having on her. It had been almost five days since she had been admitted to the hospital. Ever since they had adopted her, she and John had tried their hardest to find a routine that she was comfortable with and that suited all of them. Adelaide had just begun to settle into that routine over the last couple of months, but now her routine had been disturbed and she could sense that she was slowly starting to feel overwhelmed by it all.

'Doctor Clarkson gave me another check-up after dinner last night, princess,' She slipped a red curl back behind her ear. 'He needs to be positive that I'm well enough to leave before I can come home. He ran some little tests and he's going to have the results soon, which means that I might be able to come home at lunchtime if everything's fine. If he finds some problems, though, he might have to keep me in for a little while longer to help me get better,' She watched as Adelaide tried to process everything that she had just said to her. 'Do you understand all of that, my love?'

Adelaide nodded. 'If you're better then you can come home, but you have to stay here if you're still poorly.'

'That's right.' Anna ran a hand along her back through her cardigan.

The room was silent for a little while after that, but Evelyn soon started to whimper in her Moses basket near the window and a smile formed on Adelaide's lips as she looked over at her. 'Daddy, please can I go and see Evie?' She asked him with hope sparkling in her lovely green eyes.

'Of course,' John smiled. 'Why don't you see if she'll settle with her pacifier?'

'Okay!' She replied before pulling back the blanket, getting off of the bed and walking over to her sister.

John watched her talk to her for a moment from where he was sat on the bed, but when he looked at his wife again and noticed the sadness in her eyes, he sighed and moved up the bed to sit next to her. Wordlessly, he eased his arm around her shoulders and waited for her to rest her head on his chest before kissing her crown. 'I know that you're tired of being in here, sweetheart, but I'm so proud of you.' He told her quietly.

'You're proud of me? For what?' She moved her head to his shoulder and looked up at him.

'You were so ill and weak when you were first admitted,' He stroked her face. 'You took a turn for the worse in the ambulance, so I was told to prepare for the worst once we'd arrived. I had to wait outside with Evie while they made you comfortable and sedated you, and I was positive that I was going to end up losing you,' He lowered his voice further in case Adelaide overheard. 'I rehearsed how I was going to tell Addie, and I felt sick until I was allowed in the room. It's astounding how long two or three hours feels when you're sat waiting for something to happen.'

He took her hand in his free one and ran his thumb over her wedding ring before continuing. 'The whole time you were asleep, I was listening to your breathing and I felt useless because there was nothing I could do to change things. I spent hours talking to you and felt stupid because I knew you couldn't hear me. I remember lying Evie next to you at one point, and I put your arm over her and you woke up and held her close. You have no idea how thrilled I was. I knew that things were still serious and could change at any time, but just seeing you awake calmed me.'

A soft smile graced her features and he brought her closer to his chest. 'I had to help you eat and drink that first night because you didn't have the strength. You started recovering far sooner than I thought you would, though, and then you started nursing Evie and I felt so proud of you for that. Even when you're ill and exhausted, you still put our girls first and that's one of the things I love the most about you.' He moved a fair curl out of her face and back behind her ear before brushing his thumb against her cheek, and he felt his heart swell when her eyes fell closed.

'Can I ask you something?' She draped an arm over his stomach and snuggled closer to him after opening her eyes again.

'You can ask me anything, my darling.' He reassured her.

She looked over at Adelaide for a moment and smiled at the sight of her standing on her tiptoes beside her sister's Moses basket and speaking to her. 'Could we go on a little trip once I'm feeling better and we've gotten Evie into some sort of routine?' She asked as she looked up at John again. 'I don't mean an expensive one, but I think it would be nice for us and the girls to have a weekend away together in a couple of months.'

'What's brought this on?' He asked.

She curled her fingers into his jacket. 'We have an incredible little girl who's been nothing but patient and understanding for the last couple of months,' She reminded him. 'If we don't count visiting mum, she's been stuck inside most of the time because the weather has been awful and I've been too tired to take her out. She's also been so well behaved given the circumstances, and I think she just deserves something special as a treat. You keep saying that you want to take her to Scotland so that you can take her to places you went as a child and she can experience it.'

'You think she'd like it?' He looked over at their daughters before turning back to her.

'I think she'd love it,' She moved her hand to his chest and kissed his cheek. 'Just as much as I did.'

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. 'Perhaps we could find a little cottage to spend the weekend in rather than booking a room in a hotel. Hotel rooms are always rather cramped, and we and the girls will have a garden to spend time in when it's warm. What do you think?'

'I think it's going to be the perfect weekend.' She stroked his chest before brushing her lips against his.

The two of them parted when Evelyn's cries started to fill the air sometime later, and they couldn't help but smile when Adelaide looked over at them with a nervous expression on her face. 'I was just talking to her, daddy, I didn't do anything to scare her!' She hurried back over to the bed before her father took his arm from around her mother's shoulders and lifted her into his lap. 'Doesn't Evie like me?' She gazed up at him.

'Of course she likes you, darling, and we know you didn't do anything,' He soothed. 'She's just telling mummy and I that she needs something.'

Adelaide turned in her father's lap to look at her mother. 'I didn't upset her, mummy?'

'Not at all,' Anna shook her head before kissing her temple. 'Shall I go and get her? Then we can find out what she wants.'

Adelaide nodded before cuddling closer to her father while her mother pulled back the blanket and slipped from the bed to go over to Evelyn. 'Come here, sweet-pea,' Anna whispered once she had reached her baby girl's Moses basket, nothing but love in her eyes as she lifted her into the cradle of her arms. Almost as soon as she had settled her against her chest, Evelyn calmed considerably and grizzled as she moved herself into a more comfortable position in her arms. 'There you are, Addie, she just needed a cuddle.' She told her little girl as she looked over at her.

'Can I give her a kiss? Please?' Adelaide asked.

'Of course!' Anna nodded before holding Evelyn closer and padding back over to the bed.

Evelyn fussed in her arms as she lowered herself back down onto the bed, but settled once more when she nuzzled a kiss onto her temple and shushed her. Once she was certain that her baby was comfortable and content, she shuffled closer to John and Adelaide before leaning against the headboard and moving her arms a little so that Evelyn was closer to Adelaide. She then watched as Adelaide brushed a gentle kiss against Evelyn's forehead, and a smile crossed her lips when she felt John run a hand over her hair and lifted her gaze to his. 'I love you.' She told him.

'I love you too.' He replied.

There was a knock on the door to her room a short time later, and she lifted her gaze from her daughters to see doctor Clarkson walk into the room with a clipboard. 'I apologize for the wait, but I've just received the results from last night's tests and I thought you'd like to know them.'

'That depends on whether it's good news or bad.' John answered while stroking his wife's arm.

Doctor Clarkson looked at the sheet of paper clipped to his clipboard. 'Well, I think you'll be pleased to hear that the results are good for once! Nothing alarming has shown up on the tests, which is good, and everything seems to have normalised. You're free to go home, Mrs. Bates, but I'm going to send a week's worth of medication home with you. I'll make a house-call on Sunday afternoon to make sure Evelyn's growing and putting on the weight that she should be, but also to see how you're getting on.' He smiled as Anna nodded in response while soothing Evelyn.

'Thank you, doctor Clarkson.' John smiled.

'You're quite welcome,' The doctor replied. 'Now, I'll leave you so that you can prepare to leave.'

He then turned on his heel and walked out of the room before closing the door behind him, and Anna sighed with relief as she gazed up at her husband. 'I bet you're glad that we get to sleep in our own bed tonight and you don't have to squeeze on here with me anymore.' She laughed.

'It hasn't been the most comfortable experience,' He smirked while holding Adelaide near and smoothing his hand over her untameable curls. 'But I know that hospitals make you anxious and you needed me to hold you, so I would have slept on this bed for a fortnight if it'd come to it.'

She felt her love for him deepen. 'You're so sweet.'

'I know,' He winked before leaning in to steal a kiss. 'Do you want me to nip to the cottage and get Evie's pram while you get dressed?'

'I'd be so grateful,' She told him. 'I'd carry her, but I can hear that it's raining and I'd rather not carry her home and put her at risk of falling ill.'

He nodded in understanding before giving Adelaide a squeeze. 'Are you going to stay here and help mummy with Evie until I get back, Addie?'

'Okay, daddy.' Adelaide beamed.

'That's my girl,' He kissed the tip of her nose before easing her out of his lap and onto the bed next to her mother, leaving the bed and walking over to where his cane was leaning against the wall. He then took his coat from the chair, pushed his arms into the sleeves and buttoned it up before smiling over at the girls that he was blessed enough to call his. 'I'll get the fire going so that the cottage is warm for when we get home.'

'Daddy, please can you make your special hot chocolate when we get home?' Adelaide asked.

John chuckled. 'What does mummy think?'

'I wouldn't mind one myself, actually,' Anna admitted. 'You make the best hot chocolates.'

'All right,' He nodded. 'We need to get you back first, though, so I'll be back soon.'

'Bye-bye, daddy!' Adelaide waved.

'Bye-bye, princess.' He waved back before opening the door and leaving the hospital room.

Once she was alone with her daughters, Anna eased an arm around Adelaide's waist and pressed a kiss to the side of her head before cradling a sleeping Evelyn closer to her chest and sighing with happiness. 'I have the most beautiful girls.' She whispered to them. 'I love you so much.'

'We love you too, mummy.' Adelaide curled her fingers into her nightgown and leaned her head against her shoulder.

'Would you like to sleep in the big bed with me and daddy tonight?' Anna asked after running her hand tenderly along her side.

Adelaide looked at her for a second. 'I want to, but daddy won't let me because I'm a big girl now.'

'Oh, I think he'll make an exception just this once,' Anna told her. 'He's missed you just as much as I have, darling, and I'm sure he won't mind.'

'Can I have kisses and cuddles at bedtime tonight?' Adelaide smiled.

Anna tightened her hold of her. 'You can have as many kisses and cuddles as you like.'

'I've missed you, mummy,' Adelaide sighed. 'I don't want you to go away for so long ever again.'

'No, Addie,' Anna buried a kiss in her hair. 'No, I won't be going away for this long again, I promise…'

And that was a promise that she was determined to always keep.

* * *

Once John had laid a flat-out Evelyn down in her Moses basket, he smiled and used the backs of his fingers to smooth down a dark wisp of her hair before turning to face Adelaide. Before he had brought her and her sister upstairs, she had sworn to him that she didn't feel tired and she didn't want to take a nap. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, though, and he knew that she would be out like a light in minutes after he'd tucked her into bed. 'Your turn, darling.' He said to her before resting his hand on her cheek and brushing his thumb against her freckled skin.

'Up?' She asked with hope in her eyes after lifting her arms.

He had never been able to resist her anything when she looked at him like that, and so he rested his hands on her waist and lifted her onto his hip before kissing her forehead. She laid her head on his shoulder after lacing her arms around his neck, and he felt his heart flutter when she hid her face in the side of his neck. He loved knowing that she was still his little girl. She was so independent and she'd matured so much over the last couple of months, but she still loved cuddles with him and felt secure whenever she was in his arms. He never wanted her to grow up.

He never wanted her to stop coming to him in the middle of the night after she had had a nightmare.

He never wanted her to stop wanting to have daddy-daughter days with him.

Most of all, though, he never wanted her to feel as though he wouldn't be there to hold her if she needed him to be.

Even when she was older and had a little family of her own, he hoped that she would still come to him for a cuddle whenever she needed one.

The feeling of one of her hands sliding down his back pulled him from his thoughts after a time, and he couldn't help but smile when he heard her quiet snores. Once he had readjusted his hold of her and she had nuzzled further into his neck, he kissed her temple before walking out of the room and down the hall to her bedroom. He carried her over to the bed in the corner after entering the room, and once he had laid her on the mattress, he covered her with her quilt before lowering himself to sit on the edge of the bed. 'I love you so much, precious.' He whispered.

After running a hand over her curls, he turned in place and took Mr. Woof from the end of the bed before tucking him into bed beside her and watching her pull him close in her sleep. He sat and watched her sleep soundly for a while before deciding to go back downstairs to Anna, and so he pulled the quilt a little further over his little girl and rose from the bed. Before walking out of the room, he took one last look at Adelaide and sighed with happiness. He was so privileged to have her, Evelyn and Anna in his life, and he'd never take a single one of them for granted.

He closed the door to his little girl's bedroom behind him after leaving the room, and after running a hand through his hair, he started to walk back down to the sitting room where he had left his wife reading her novel. The sight that met his eyes when he entered the room caused him to fall all the more in love with her. She must have nodded off while reading, because her book was face-down on the floor and she was sound asleep on her stomach with her arm hanging over the edge of the settee. There weren't words to express just how radiant she was in his eyes.

Once he had spotted the soft blanket hanging over the back of the settee, he walked over and took it before unfolding it and placing it over his wife. She stirred for a moment-or-two, but soon settled again when he sat down next to her and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He wasn't at all surprised that she had fallen asleep while he'd been upstairs. She had been through such an ordeal over the last few days, and he felt as though it would be an understatement to say that she was exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her so worn out.

She was home now, though, and he was going to see to it that she did nothing but relax and spend some time with the girls for the next couple of days. He watched her bring her arm back onto the settee and sigh in her sleep as she made herself more comfortable a short time later, and he couldn't resist the urge to slide her hair out of her face. He'd tried to keep his touch as gentle as possible so not to wake her, but he mustn't have been gentle enough because she began to stir. 'John?' She mumbled once her eyes had opened ever-so-slightly and she looked up at him.

'I'm here,' He reassured her. 'I didn't mean to wake you, sweetheart, go back to sleep.'

'Hold me.' She told him before shuffling backwards toward the back of the settee to make room for him.

With a chuckle and loving shake of his head, he moved so that he was leaning against the arm of the settee before opening his arms to her and allowing her to cuddle up to him. It didn't take long for her to rest her head on his shoulder and make herself comfortable again, and once she had settled with a sigh, he turned his head in her direction and the two of them shared a smile. 'This is the first moment alone we've had since Evie was born,' He pointed out while running his hand gently along her spine. 'And we're both exhausted and feel like taking a nap ourselves.'

She laughed at his remark which caused him to chuckle as well before she said: 'The joys of parenthood, eh?'

'I couldn't be happier with our lot, though,' He admitted. 'We have the most beautiful little girls and I adore them.'

'Me too,' She sighed. 'Just as much as I adore you.'

Her eyes fell closed and a tired smile crossed her lips when he left a kiss to her forehead and pulled her closer with the arm around her waist. 'You're exhausted,' He hummed against her skin. 'Get some more rest, love, and I'll wake you a couple of minutes before I go and wake Addie.'

'Thank you. I love you so much, John.' She buried her face in the side of his neck before settling with a huff of contentment.

'I love you too,' He replied. 'I love you too…'

* * *

Anna could hear Adelaide's laughter from the bathroom when she was sat up in bed with Evelyn that evening, and the sound made her smile. John had said that he would bathe Adelaide so that she could rest, but she knew the two of them too well. There would be too much splashing and not enough bathing going on. She heard Adelaide squeal and John chuckle sometime later, and she sighed with a gentle shake of her head before looking down at her tired little girl. 'That, darling, is your father and big sister.' She smiled. 'And I wouldn't change a thing about them.'

She felt her heart swell when her daughter cuddled a little closer to her and huffed in contentment, and she couldn't resist the urge to brush a kiss against her hairline after cradling the back of her head in her hand. It still made her emotional to think that this was her life now. She was the mother of two beautiful little girls, married to the man of her dreams, and – for the first time – she was excited to find out what the future held. She finally had the life that she had dreamed of when she had married John, and she just couldn't wait to start making lasting memories.

The sound of the door opening brought her out of her thoughts and made her look up after a while, and the sight of her husband in his soaked undershirt made her smirk. 'That's odd,' She teased while he carried Adelaide over to their bed. 'I could have sworn it was Addie's bath night.'

'Don't look at me, she started it.' He laughed before sitting their daughter down on the end of the bed and allowing her to crawl to her mother.

'Oh, that's mature! A grown man blaming it on a four-year-old!' Anna slid an arm around Adelaide when she sat down beside her.

'She might be four, but she's a little rascal,' He took off his damp undershirt before pointing at Adelaide when she smirked. 'She knows it, too!'

Anna turned her head toward their little girl and kissed her forehead. 'She has daddy completely wrapped around her little finger, don't you?'

'Daddy loves me.' Adelaide cuddled up to her mother.

'Well, I can't argue with such solid logic,' John admitted defeat as he walked over to the bed before pulling back the covers, climbing in next to his beautiful girls, and taking Adelaide's Winnie the Pooh book from the bedside table. Once he had leaned against the headboard, he couldn't help but smile as Adelaide wasted no time in shifting closer to him and resting her head on his chest. 'Let's see what Pooh and Piglet get up to tonight, then.' He held her closer and buried a kiss in her damp hair before turning to Anna and caressing her cheek with the back of his hand.

'I love Piglet, daddy,' Adelaide tilted her head back on his chest. 'He's so cute and small, just like Evie!'

Her remark caused her parents to laugh before her father tightened his hold of her and she settled into his side as he flipped to the right page in her book. Even though she couldn't read long words herself, she still let her eyes roam over them on the page while her father read them to her. She loved it when he read her bedtime stories before she had to go to sleep. Sometimes, he changed his voice for all of the characters and she thought that that was such a brilliant thing to do. She had the cleverest daddy in all the world, she was positive. He had the greatest ideas!

She turned the page over for him once he had read to the end of it, and she smiled when she felt him stroke her waist through her nightgown.

From where she was sat beside them, Anna smiled as she watched her husband and daughter snuggle together while he read her book to her. If there was one thing that she loved the most about John, then it was how he treated their daughters as equals. He didn't have more time and love for Evelyn because he had created her, and he didn't have more time and love for Adelaide because she had been in their lives for longer. He ensured that both of them received the same amount of his time and love as the other, and simply knowing that made her so proud of him.

There were no favourites.

She felt Evelyn's pacifier drop into her lap after listening to her husband read to Adelaide for a time, and she smiled when she looked down at her little girl and realised that she had nodded off at last. She thought that she looked like John when she was awake, but she was his absolute double when she slept. 'This little miss is out for the count,' She looked up at her husband at the sound of his voice and smiled as she watched him stroke Adelaide's back while she slumbered against his chest. 'Do you want me to go and put her in her own bed while you sort Evie out?'

'No, I said she could sleep in here with us tonight,' She whispered with a shake of her head. 'It's just one night and she wants to be close to us.'

'That's fine with me,' He reassured her. 'How are you feeling?'

'I'm feeling all right, darling, I'm just a little tired after all that's gone on.' She admitted.

He nodded. 'You're bound to be. I'll get up with the girls in the morning and find Addie some breakfast so that you can get some proper sleep.'

'You don't have to do that.' She told him after lowering Evelyn down into her Moses basket.

'I know, but I want to. I want to be the one to take care of you now that we're home.' He explained.

She looked at him for a moment before shuffling closer to him and their little girl, resting her hand on his cheek and pressing a delicate kiss to his lips. Their kiss lingered for a time as she ran her thumb across his skin, and she leaned her forehead against his own when their kiss came to its end. 'I feel as though I haven't thanked you enough for everything you've done for me over the last couple of days,' She admitted quietly. 'You had to look after Evie as well as me when we were in the hospital, and even though you haven't complained, I can tell that you're exhausted.'

'I am tired, I'll admit that,' He slipped a strand of her hair back behind her ear. 'But that's not your fault, and I would do it again if I needed to.'

'I know, and I love you for it.' She stole one more kiss from him before pulling back, turning off the lamp on her bedside table and lying down.

'You'll call me a brooder,' He sighed into the darkness after doing the same and settling with Adelaide. 'But I'm still a little worried about you.'

She sighed. 'There's no need to be worried about me, my love, because I'm going to be just fine. You were there when doctor Clarkson said so.'

'I know.' He nodded.

'Well then,' She kissed his cheek. 'You're worn out, John, so get some sleep and I promise that things will seem much brighter in the morning.'

John turned his head in her direction and smiled. 'Do you have the first idea of how much I love you?'

'I have quite a good idea,' She laughed. 'I love you too.'

John let out quite a large yawn just moments later, and after the two of them had finished chuckling, he said: 'I think it might be time to sleep.'

'You think?' She teased before snuggling further beneath the quilt. 'Goodnight, John.'

'Goodnight, my darling,' He replied. 'Pleasant dreams.'

The two of them drifted into a comfortable silence then, and it didn't take long for their closeness and the sound of their daughters' breathing to send them off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter and I really hope that you enjoyed it. Please let me know with a review what you thought, and I'll see you all soon! x**


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for coming back, and I hope that you like this little chapter!** x

* * *

John couldn't help but smile as he held his daughter in his lap, ran his fingers through the soft red curls that hung down her back and watched her turn the page in the photo-album. He loved knowing that looking at childhood photographs of both him and her mother brought her such happiness. She found it fascinating, and the smiles that would light up her face when she saw a photograph of Anna with Alice or him with his tin trains just warmed his heart. Her curious nature was one of the things he loved the most about her, and he prayed that she never lost that.

'Daddy, who's the pretty lady in this picture? I've never seen her before.' He smiled at Adelaide and pulled her closer when she tilted her head back on his chest, and he felt his heart swell a little when he looked at the little photograph that she had been mentioning in the photo-album.

It was a photograph of his mother sitting on a chair in his grandmother's kitchen with him – somewhere around one-and-a-half - in her lap.

Her soft brown hair was hanging over her shoulders in loose curls as she held him close to her, and he could tell that the smile on her lips was a genuine one. His father mustn't have been present at the time, then. His mother had been terrified of him, and her smiles in the photographs that included him were never genuine. He had treated her like dirt and made her feel worthless, and it had infuriated him more and more the older he had gotten. He would never dream of calling Anna such names or treating her and their girls like he and his mother had been treated.

'Daddy?' The feeling of Adelaide patting his chest brought him back to the present.

'I'm so sorry, princess, what were you saying?' He shook his head to clear the negative thoughts from his mind.

'The pretty lady,' She pointed to the photograph once again. 'Who is she?'

He smiled. 'She's your grandmother and my mummy, but she died a little over two years before I married your mummy.'

'I'm sorry that your mummy died, daddy,' She looked into his eyes with slight sadness in hers. 'Do you miss her?'

'I do, sweetheart, very much,' He nodded. 'She would have loved you and Evie to pieces and spoiled you absolutely rotten.'

She laughed. 'Where did she live?'

'She lived in the cottage that we stayed in when we went up to London to take mummy to doctor Ryder, Addie, can you remember?' He asked.

She thought for a moment before nodding with a gasp.

'If that's your mummy, daddy, does that mean that you're the little boy?' She inquired when she looked at the photograph once again.

'It does,' He gave her a squeeze. 'I was around one-and-a-half when this photograph was taken, and we were in my grandmother's kitchen.'

He watched her lips curl into the little smile that he loved so much. 'Am I in the album?'

'You are, darling, mummy and I had a photograph taken with you on an outing to Ripon one time,' He told her. 'Shall I show you where it is?'

Once she had allowed him to take the photo-album from her, he turned to the back of the large book and flipped through several pages before finding the photograph that he had been searching for. Then, as if on cue, the sound of bare feet patting against the sitting room floor reached his ears and he glanced over his shoulder to see Anna entering the room with Evelyn whimpering in her arms. There were slight circles under her eyes and her hair was rather tangled from all of the turning over she had done through the night, but she still looked gorgeous in his eyes.

'Morning.' She smiled.

'Morning, sweetheart,' He kept his voice soft. 'Someone decided that she wanted to get up earlier this morning and look at some photographs.'

She laughed as she came to stand beside his chair before she put an arm around his shoulders, kissed the crown of his head and took a look at the photograph that he had just turned to in the album. 'I remember that afternoon,' She released a sigh of happiness. 'The poor photographer had to take that photograph four times because a certain little miss found it impossible to sit still for more than three seconds!' She brushed a soft kiss against Adelaide's forehead when she looked up at her, and the love that she had for her little girl deepened when she beamed at her.

'In her defence, we should have waited until afterwards to take her to that sweet-shop.' John chuckled.

Anna smirked and hummed in agreement.

'Come and have a cuddle with us, mummy! Then you can look at photographs with us!' Adelaide told her.

'Is there enough room for me and Evie?' Anna teased while looking at her husband again.

'There's always enough room for you.' He reassured her before patting his unoccupied knee and watching her walk around to the front of him.

Once she had sat down on his knee, he slid an arm around her and pressed his lips to her temple as she cuddled against his chest with a smile. He then watched as Adelaide started to turn back to the page that the photograph of him and his mother was on, and he felt a surge of intense love for all three of his girls course through his veins as he held them close. He'd thought that his life had been perfect when he and Anna had brought Adelaide home from the adoption centre, but life had had one more surprise in store for them and they had been blessed with Evelyn.

Their little family, in his opinion, was now complete.

He had an incredible wife and two beautiful little girls, and he was happier than he had ever been.

As long as he had the three of them in his life, he would need nothing else.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

Once Adelaide had stormed up the staircase, she entered her bedroom before slamming the door and forcing back tears as she walked over to her bed. Her mother had told her that her moodiness was because she was tired and that she needed to come upstairs to rest and calm down, but she wasn't tired in the slightest. She was sad and her heart was aching because she could tell that, for some reason, her parents loved Evie more than her. Evie was little and needed their mummy and daddy to do things for her, she knew that, but it wasn't fair that she was trying to take them from her. She was older than her and had been their baby for longer, and it upset her to know that she wasn't as special as she was.

She sat down on the bed once she had reached it, and after finding Mr. Woof she leaned against the headboard of the bed and looked at him in silence for a second. 'You still love me, don't you?' She asked him before the slightest smile spread across her lips when she made him nod his response. That smile vanished when memories of when her mummy bought him for her came flooding back. She had been brave at one of her doctor's appointments, and so her mummy had taken her to the shop in the village and told her that she could have whatever she wanted. Mr. Woof had been the last dog sitting on the shelf and she had thought that he'd seemed a bit sad, so she had decided to take him home with her.

She had been so special to her mother back then.

Before Evie had come along and changed everything.

She adored her little sister, of course she did, but she just wished that she would stop stealing their parents and let them spend time with her.

She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she held Mr. Woof close, and she heard a knock on the door to her room after using the palm of her hand to brush the tear off of her skin. 'Is it all right if I come in, my lovely?' Her mother asked after opening the door and peeking into the bedroom.

She gave her a mute nod before watching her enter the room and shut the door behind her, and she followed her with her eyes as she padded over to the bed. Once she had sat down on the edge of the bed, her mother smoothed a hand over her curls and the action made a gentle smile form on her lips. 'I think we need to have a little chat about what that tantrum was all about…' Her mother admitted. 'Do you want to tell me?'

'Um…' She blinked back the tears that were brimming in her eyes. 'My heart hurts.'

Anna's brow creased a little as she shifted closer to her daughter. 'Your heart hurts? What do you mean?'

'I'm not special like Evie is…' Adelaide almost whispered. 'That makes me sad, and my heart hurts when I feel sad.'

'Why in the world would you think that you're not special?' Anna's voice trembled with emotion as she felt her heart sink.

Adelaide looked down at her lap. 'Because I'm not as little as Evie is, and you and daddy love her more than me because she's your own baby.'

'Adelaide Bates, listen to me,' Anna hooked her finger underneath her little girl's chin and lifted her head so that she could look her in the eye. 'I might have carried Evelyn around in my belly for the last couple of months. I might have given birth to her and she might look more like me and daddy than you do, but that does not mean that she's our baby any more than you are. You're still our little girl, my love, and even though you came to us in a different way than Evie did, we don't love you a fraction less. I'm the luckiest mummy in the world to have you, you know.'

Adelaide's bottom lip quivered for just a moment before she burst into tears and allowed her mother to lift her off of the bed and into her lap. She buried her head beneath her chin and hid her face in her throat as she cried, and she could feel her mother stroking her back through her blouse in an attempt to sooth her while she held her near. 'I'm sorry for being moody, mummy…' She managed to choke out through her tears when she pulled back a little to look at her mother, and she took a deep breath when she stroked her flushed cheek with the back of her hand.

'You have nothing to apologize for,' Anna reassured her as tears of her own danced down her cheeks. 'So much has changed for you since Evie came along, and I should have seen that you were overwhelmed and finding it hard to accept those changes. Can you forgive me, sweetheart?'

Adelaide nodded before yawning while using her hands to wipe the tears from her mother's cheeks.

'Is someone getting tired?' Anna eased her daughter's curls back behind her ear.

'I think I need a nap now, mummy,' Adelaide giggled. 'Will you lie with me?'

Anna didn't answer her with words, choosing instead to pull back the covers and wait for her little girl to crawl out of her lap and lie down on the bed. She then laid the covers over her once again, moved so that she was behind her, and laid herself down before winding an arm around her and nuzzling her nose into the curls at the back of her head. 'I never want you to think that daddy and I don't love you again, Addie, is that clear?' She murmured while stroking her thumb against her stomach through the covers. 'We love you more than you could possibly imagine.'

'I know,' Adelaide hummed as she drifted off to sleep in her arms. 'I love you too.'

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep after that, and once Anna was positive that she was comfortable and at peace, she sat herself up before brushing a kiss against her cheek and stroking her hair. She felt so awful for making her think that she had more affection for Evelyn than she had for her. She had been home from the hospital for a fortnight now, so she couldn't bear to think about how long Adelaide had been hurting like this. How could she not have realised that her little girl was feeling ignored and unloved? The mere thought of that made her heart break.

She was going to make it up to her when she was feeling better.

She would ask John to watch Evelyn so that she could have some one-on-one time with Adelaide and take her somewhere special.

Her little girl meant the world to her and so much more, and she was going to help her to see that if it was the last thing she ever did.

* * *

'I can't believe I missed the signs…' Anna sniffled once she had finished crying in her husband's arms on the settee that night, her head resting on his shoulder as his arm was around her and she was stroking Bella's ears while she slept in his lap. 'She was heartbroken, John, and I mean heartbroken when I went upstairs to talk to her earlier. I think she was reluctant to talk to me about how she was feeling at the start, too, and that was one of the things that hurt me the most. For some reason, some small part of her felt as though she was unable to talk to me about it.'

'You can't blame yourself for this,' John soothed as he ran his fingers along the outside of her arm. 'It doesn't surprise me that she's emotional and overwhelmed, sweetheart, because she's at rather a confusing stage in her life. She's not a baby anymore, as much as it pains me to say it. She's trying to become independent and figure out who she is as an individual, and I think that the responsibilities that come with being a big sister on top of that have just exhausted her. No-one's at fault for how she's feeling, Anna, and I promise you that this won't last much longer.'

She tilted her head back on his shoulder and laid her hand on the side of his neck when he turned his head in her direction, a soft sigh leaving her as she smoothed her thumb over his skin and looked at him. 'You make me feel like the happiest woman living, and I hope you know that.'

'I'm glad,' He smiled. 'You have such a beautiful smile and you deserve nothing but happiness.'

She let her hand slide around to the back of his neck before she pulled him into a kiss, her lips curling upwards into a smile of their own when she ended it and pulled back from him after a time. 'Have you realised that this is one of the first times we've been alone since Evie joined us?'

'You're right.' He realised.

'How do you feel about making the most of it and going for a long soak in the bath before bed?' She moved her hand from his neck to his chest.

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead before looking into her eyes once again. 'You know; I think we might have earned it.'

'I quite agree,' She replied. 'I'll pop upstairs and start running it. Could you make us some tea and then I'll come down and help to carry it up?'

'Of course.' He nodded.

Once she had left one last kiss to his lips, he removed his arm from around her and let her get up from the settee before she walked out of the sitting room and he looked down at Bella. He had to admit that, even though she had a bad habit of traumatising Adelaide by bringing in little mice that she had hunted in the garden, she was beginning to grow on him. She was such a laid-back little thing and constantly wanted a fuss, and he thought that it was sweet that she wiggled herself into the gap between his thigh and his armchair after eating her dinner most nights.

Anna teased him about it on occasion, telling him that he was going soft in his old age, but he didn't mind.

'Come on, misses,' He gave Bella a slight nudge so that she would get off of his lap, and once she was standing on the settee he stroked her fur. 'Don't look at me like that, it was your mother's idea.' He chuckled before rising from the settee and leaving the sitting room to walk down the hall to the kitchen. It didn't take him long to find two teacups and start the kettle boiling on the stove, and a smile spread across his lips when he felt a pair of arms slide around his middle from behind. 'Are the girls still sound?' He asked his wife as she kissed his back through his vest.

'They are, thank goodness.' She pressed her cheek to his back and let her eyes fall closed.

She felt him turn around in her arms a couple of moments later, though, and sighed with contentment when he brought her close and allowed her to rest her head on his chest. 'Sweetheart, you're worn out,' He sighed after resting his chin atop her head. 'Are you sure you want a bath?'

She nodded. 'I'm still having those cramps, so I'm hoping that the warmth will ease them and I'll be able to sleep.'

'Well, tell me if they're still intense when we get into bed and I'll come down and get you a hot water bottle.' He ran his hands along her spine.

'Thank you.' She turned her head and kissed his chest through his vest, a soft sigh escaping her when the kettle whistled and she left his arms.

It took him minutes to finish making their tea and put the teacups on a tray, and once she had taken the tray in her hands she carried it out of the kitchen and walked to the staircase with John behind her. He had been right in saying that she was exhausted. Her muscles ached and she felt as though she could go to sleep standing up, but it had been far too long since she and John had spent some time alone together and she'd missed it. Besides, she was certain that taking a hot bath just before bed would make it far simpler for her to settle and fall asleep afterwards.

Once the two of them had reached the bathroom at the top of the stairs, she placed the tray down on the cabinet beside the bath and hummed happily when her husband put his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the back of her neck. 'I love you so much.' He told her softly.

'I love you too…' She covered her hands with his on her still-deflating stomach and slid her fingers through the gaps in his own.

As she stood in John's arms and watched the water and bubbles fill the bath, Anna was positive that there was nowhere else she would rather be. She loved him with all her heart, just like she did their daughters who were fast asleep nearby, and she was determined to make the most of every precious moment she was able to spend with him.

Every single moment.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and I hope that you enjoyed it! I apologise that it wasn't as long as the last one and that it ended rather abruptly, but I promise that the next chapter will be better and I think Anna and John will be taking Evelyn up to Downton to meet everyone! Thank you all for your support up to now, it truly is appreciated, and I would be so grateful if you would let me know what you thought of this chapter with a review. I'll see you all soon!**


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